Two years on, Wayanad landslide survivors still haunted by loss, fear, memories

Two years on, Wayanad landslide survivors still haunted by loss, fear, memories

Kalpetta , Some placed flowers before photographs of their loved ones. Others kept chocolates and toys in front of the photos of children whose lives were cut short in the Wayanad landslide. Many broke down in tears, while others stood silently, struggling to contain their grief.

Two years on, Wayanad landslide survivors still haunted by loss, fear, memories

Two years after the devastating Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides in Wayanad, survivors are yet to come to terms with the tragedy that claimed hundreds of lives and altered countless others forever.

The landslides that struck the Mundakkai and Chooralmala region in the early hours of July 30, 2024, claimed 298 lives, flattened entire settlements and washed away homes, livelihoods and dreams in a single night.

Though many survivors have now moved into newly built houses at the government's rehabilitation township in Kalpetta, the pain and shock remain as fresh as ever.

For them, even a spell of heavy rain or the sight of a swelling river is enough to revive memories of that night of horror.

At a memorial function organised at the township on Thursday morning, grief hung heavily in the air as survivors gathered to remember those they had lost.

Lamps were lit before photographs of the victims and flowers were offered in their memory. Some family members quietly placed chocolates and toys before the photographs of children who perished in the disaster, making the ceremony all the more heart-rending.

"Words cannot describe our pain. We lost everything. Losing our house is not what hurts the most but it is the loss of our near and dear ones," a teary-eyed man said.

Whenever there is heavy rain or strong winds, we are terrified, he said.

An elderly woman echoed the same fear and said, "Whenever it rains or the river rises, I lose my sleep."

For Shobhana and her husband Appu, who lived on Chooralmala School Road, life changed forever that night.

Of the four members in their house, their elder granddaughter Ahanya was swept away in the landslide. Their daughter-in-law Prajitha was two months pregnant at the time and later gave birth to Navanya, now one-and-a-half years old, who has become the family's only source of joy.

Their son Abhilash, who was working in the Gulf when the tragedy struck, has since returned and now lives with them in the Kalpetta township.

Though grateful for the new house provided under the rehabilitation project, the family says nothing can fill the void left by Ahanya's death.

"We are happy that we got a home, but the pain of losing our little girl has never left us. Even after two years, those memories continue to haunt us," Shobhana said, struggling to hold back tears.

Appu, who sustained injuries in the landslide, is unable to work because of health issues. The family now depends entirely on Abhilash's income.

He still vividly remembers trying to flee with his family as their house was swept away, and how local residents and government officials rescued them from near the school and shifted them to hospital.

Another Chooralmala couple, Madaswamy and Maari Amma, have a similar story of survival.

Maari Amma still remembers waking up around 1.20 am to deafening sounds and the force of rushing water. Their son ran into the central room, pulled his father, who was trapped waist-deep in water, and helped him climb to safety through a nearby coffee plantation. Moments after they escaped, their house collapsed.

In one night, they lost their half-acre of land, standing crops and ₹1.5 lakh they had kept aside to repay a bank loan.

Maari Amma also lost her elder brother and his son in the disaster. Her brother's body has never been recovered.

With Madaswamy unable to work after suffering a leg injury, the family now survives on their son's modest income and worries about what will happen if the monthly government assistance of ₹9,000 is discontinued.

"We worked hard all our lives. Today, we have to depend on our son's small income," Maari Amma said.

Among the worst affected was Thanka's family from Punchirimattam. She lost 12 members of her family, including her son's three children. Along with her loved ones, the family also lost its 50 cents of land, house and livelihood.

Now living in Kalpetta township, Thanka says July 30 is a day she never wishes to remember.

"I don't want to remember that day anymore. But every single day we remember our village and the people we lost," she said.

While satisfied with the township facilities, she says financial hardship continues to weigh heavily on the family.

The rehabilitation township has undoubtedly given many survivors a roof over their heads and renewed hope.

The government is constructing houses for 410 affected families at the Elstone Estate township in Kalpetta. So far, 165 families have moved into completed houses, while 178 families benefited in the first phase of rehabilitation.

According to JMJ Manoj, convenor of the Chooralmala Rehabilitation Action Committee, 149 families included in the second phase are still living in rented houses across the district, many of them in leaking buildings with poor facilities.

Though the second phase is expected to be completed by September, Manoj said the pace of work must be accelerated and hand over the remaining houses without further delay.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.