Wayanad: As per the officials of the Kerala government, some of the regions of Wayanad, which witnessed the landslides on July 30, may be declared “no habitation” zones because the topography of the places might have undergone drastic changes. The accident, which resulted in huge losses in and around the area, has submerged many of the accident survivors emotionally and physically and made them unsure about their survival and rehabilitation.
Landslides hit the areas of Punchirimattam, Chooralmala, and Mundakkai in the Meppadi village Panchayat. District authorities claim that Punchirimattam and Chooralmala have been flooded beyond the possibility of habitation in the future, as Gayathri River that had flowed with rocks as big as a jeep, gravels, and uprooted trees during the flood has made new channels. The flood washed away such structures as homes, schools, temples, and other forms of public infrastructure, such as roads and bridges.
The people would still be struggling to cope with losing their homes and other personal belongings. Rajesh T., 39 years old, employed in a garment factory in Punchirimattam, has no home for the family; what more, for the shock, the house he built with his parents’ savings is gone. ”Meseems my house is full of dirty water, and all my belongings are torn to pieces. Two houses before my house were washed away. ” Rajesh, like many others staying in government hostels or rented accommodations, has lost faith in reopening the zone and is expecting government support.
In Mundakkai, a 35-year-old auto driver, Unais C., is feeling pain because his cement bags 300 and asbestos sheets, which he had stored for sale, have gone. “Before the floods, all the bags and my shop were washed away,” he says, “I had opened this business few months ago as I wanted to support my family financially. ” He expects to be paid by the government.
Speaking about the terrible night, the dance teacher, Jithika Prem, said it seemed to her that she was in the middle of a magnificent transnational horror. She is emotionally disturbed by the disasters and loss of neighbors’ lives and feels ‘depressed’ to move into the destroyed house.
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