Central Government-Allotted ₹120 Crore for Wayanad Relief, with ₹49 Crore Approved for Specific Projects, State Informs Kerala High Court
Wayanad Rehabilitation Efforts: Progress and Challenges
The ongoing rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad district, Kerala, funded by the Central government and supported by the state, are making progress, albeit with significant challenges and some delays.
As of late July 2025, the Kerala government has rehabilitated a total of 451 landslide victims by providing new homes. This includes 49 additional houses recently approved following the 2024 landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas. The government's township project targets 459 beneficiary families for permanent housing, with 410 houses being constructed on 150 acres in Elstone Estate, Kalpetta. These homes are three-bedroom units, designed for future expansion, costing around ₹30.79 lakh each (excluding GST), with completion aimed by December 31, 2025.
However, there are notable complications. About 104 beneficiaries have opted out of the project, receiving compensation of ₹15 lakh each for relinquishing their claims. Survivors have also raised concerns over delays, with some still living in rented accommodation supported by government aid and others alleging exclusion from the rehabilitation list.
Besides housing, the government is providing compensation to traders who lost assets and continuing medical support until the end of 2025. Memorial construction at one of the worst-hit sites, Puthumala, is planned as a further part of the rehabilitation.
The approved projects by the Kerala government are part of the rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad district, worth ₹49.65 crores. The Central government allocated ₹120 crores towards these efforts, but as of now, ₹70.35 crores remains unused.
The rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad district are being overseen by the Kerala government under the jurisdiction of the High Court, specifically the Prevention and Management of Natural Disasters in Kerala case. Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian are involved in these efforts.
While substantial progress has been made, completion is pending, some survivors remain inadequately supported, and challenges persist in compensation processes and survivor inclusion. Separate rehabilitation efforts by political parties and organizations have made some progress, but key promises remain unfulfilled, adding to the uncertainty some survivors face. These challenges underscore the need for continued vigilance and commitment to ensure the successful completion of the rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad district.
- The rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad district, a significant part of environmental science, are impacted by industry, as the Central government's allotted funds of ₹120 crores for these initiatives remain partially unutilized.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics, Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian oversee the rehabilitation efforts under the Prevention and Management of Natural Disasters in Kerala case.
- The financial implications of these rehabilitation efforts extend beyond the Central government's contribution, with the business sector also affected as traders in Wayanad receive compensation for losses.
- General news outlets have reported on the ongoing challenges faced by survivors, including concerns over delays, exclusion from the rehabilitation list, and climate-change related disasters such as the 2024 landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas.
