Kerala looks at early rehabilitation of Wayanad's disaster-hit

The Kerala government announced on Monday that it will implement a comprehensive rehabilitation package for the landslide-affected people of Wayanad, where rescue operations and relief missions are still ongoing and stories of enormous loss as well as great courage continue to emerge.

Land would be acquired, houses would be constructed and other infrastructure facilities required for the rehabilitation would be set up at the earliest, the authorities said.

Several people from across the world have offered assistance for the rehabilitation efforts, finance minister KN Balagopal told reporters in Wayanad after visiting the landslide-hit Chooralmala.

"The government will implement a comprehensive package for the rehabilitation of the people affected by the disaster," the minister said. At present, the state government is giving top priority to the state of mind of the disaster-hit people housed in relief camps," he added, presumably referring to the efforts of the health department in counselling the survivors.

Search operations continue vigorously, the minister said.

Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 226 as six more bodies were recovered on Monday, the district administration here said.

Scientific examination to identify the bodies continues, and 83 blood samples have been collected in this regard, they said.

As many as 1,174 personnel from various forces took part in the search mission in six zones in the landslide-hit areas.

They were joined by 913 volunteers and local people.

A ministerial sub-committee, comprising state ministers K Rajan, AK Saseendran and OR Kelu, took stock of various relief activities along with district collector DR Meghasree.

Addressing a press conference in Wayanad later, Rajan said searches would be intensified on both sides of the Chaliyar River up to Nilambur.

The two waterfalls below Soochippara would also be searched thoroughly. Forest officials supervised by the DFO would take part in that mission, the minister said.

He also said that police patrolling would be intensified around the clock in Mundakkai and Chooralmala.

Various ministers visited the relief camps and the landslide-hit areas later.

As the searches continue for the seventh day, authorities engaged unmanned aerial vehicles to transport food packets to regions that still remain out of reach.

In a bid to provide sustenance to the hundreds of personnel searching the treacherous terrain for signs of life, authorities employed modern drones capable of carrying food packets for up to 10 people at a time.

"A rapid food and water delivery system has been established to support rescue workers. Drone operations enabled the direct delivery of food to personnel operating heavy machinery, such as earthmovers," an official release here said on Monday.

As many as 31 unclaimed bodies and 158 body parts recovered after the July 30 landslide were buried in graves prepared at a nearby tea estate this evening.

Earlier, state revenue minister Rajan said the graves would be marked based on the identification number allotted to each body, and for the body parts, according to DNA samples.

Speaking of the continuing searches, he said, "The service of more cadaver dogs from various parts of the country has been requested, and 15 more dogs are expected to join the searches today."

Meanwhile, heartbreaking stories of people who had lost their near and dear ones en masse continued to haunt the hamlets of Wayanad.

Only three months ago Naufal had left Mundakkai for Oman to provide a better life for his beloved family.

He would never have thought that he would be bidding farewell to them forever.

With the devastating landslides having claimed 11 members of his family, including his father, mother, wife, children, brother, sister-in-law, and their children, a shell-shocked and heartbroken Naufal's arrival on Monday at the landslide site left onlookers in tears.

The hapless man staring at the heap of debris and mud where his house once stood was heart-wrenching.

"Naufal left for Oman only three months ago. When he returned today, nothing was left for him... Eleven members of his family have been lost in the landslides," one of his relatives said.

The touching story about the missing Prajeesh, a man from the hamlet who rescued several people stranded atop a hill, also came out on Monday.

Prajeesh drove his jeep up through the treacherous hill path twice and returned with many hapless people stranded atop it after the deadly landslides hit Mundakkai last week.

Just before he could move to safety, a phone call came for a third 'mission'.

Risking his own life, the popular young man drove the vehicle up the hill for a third time but got lost midway in the gushing flood water and mud and the barrage of huge boulders that rolled down the mountains. Those who were saved by him wish they would hear good news of his escape but prepare for the worst as time passes.