E-Paper
One year after Kerala landslide, survivors move HC for better land, houses
Survivors want the government to take over “excess land” occupied by KDHP and distribute them to the landless. The Kerala government had earlier announced that houses would be built for those hit by the tragedy under the Life Mission project. But many inhabitants said most of the houses were situated in inhospitable locations.
A year after a massive landslide decimated a tea plantation workers colony in Pettimudi in Idukki district killing 70 people, relatives of the deceased on Monday, moved the Kerala High Court with a plea to allot land and houses in proper areas.
In their plea they said some of the allotted land and houses were in remote areas without motor-able roads and they needed a proper dwelling which ensured proper commuting and a hassle-free life. The High Court later sent notices to the state government and the Kannan Devan Hill Plantation (KDHP). Most of those who died in the landslide last year were employees working with the KDHP when the tragedy occurred.
Survivors want the government to take over “excess land” occupied by the KDHP and distribute them to the landless. After the accident, the Kerala government announced that houses would be built for those hit by the tragedy under the Life Mission project. But many inhabitants said most of the houses were situated in inhospitable locations and they found it difficult to lead a normal life.
Tragedy struck Pettimudi on the night of August 6 last year when after incessant rain, a portion of the hill came down destroying a settlement of tea plantation workers. People living in nearby areas got to know about the accident only the next day. Some of the bodies were recovered nearly 14 km away from the landslide site. Only 64 bodies were recovered and last week a special order was issued by the state government certifying that the missing were also dead.
