All we own now is the pair of clothes we wear: Survivors
wayanad — It was 2.30am when Gopi Kunnathuthazathu woke up to see the mountains surrounding the landscape behind his house sliding.
“It was a Thursday, and rain was pouring heavily. There was thunder and lightning, and I could see parts of the mountain slowly beginning to slide. We did not take it seriously, but by 7.30am, massive chunks came rumbling down submerging seven houses in the neighbourhood,” Gopi told Khaleej Times, recounting the harrowing experience when landslides hit his native place Pilakavu in Wayanad district.
“I had worked a lifetime to buy that 20 cent plot. And the house is still on mortgage. I have lost everything now,” said a teary-eyed Gopi, who is currently staying in a relief camp.
More than 30,000 people got displaced in Wayanad alone, a tourist hotspot known for its verdant forests and plantations.
Kerala had its worst flooding in a century two weeks ago that saw a death toll of around 400 people and more than a million displaced sheltered in 3,274 camps in affected districts.
In relief camps scattered across Wayanad, many families said they are staring at an uncertain future.
“We have lost our life savings. We had to carry our children and run for our lives. All we own now is the pair of clothes we wear,” said Chandran when Khaleej Times visited a relief camp in the district.
He said nearly 30 houses in his neigbourhood got completely damaged in the landslides.
“All our cattle died. The banana plantations are all gone. The land is not even fit for cultivation anymore. We are completely dependent on government aid.”
Many government schools, auditoriums and even churches have been turned into relief camps to shelter affected families. But with the reopening of schools in September, there is fear that they will be evicted from the camps.
“The local government authorities told us we will have to shift to a new place within a week. We don’t know where they are moving us. I feel as though my life has been thrown off the track,” rued Rema, a housewife.
Anusree, who said she is a heart patient, said her family feels miserable after losing the only piece of land they had. “My husband has a rare disease where he spits blood while coughing. Doctors haven’t confirmed whether he has blood cancer. My mother is also ill. I feel helpless. All we need from the government is a roof over our heads,” said Anusree.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Wayanad’s sub-collector Umesh NSK said relief materials are pouring in from within and outside the state. “There is no scarcity of clothes, medicines or other essentials. But after the rescue and relief, the biggest challenge we face is rehabilitation.”
According to him, a total of 308 houses in Wayanad got completely damaged. “As many as 200 families have lost their land in landslides. This is a rough estimate as revenue officials are in the process of evaluating loss and damage,” said Umesh.
“The government has announced a compensation of Rs4 lakh for those who lost their houses, and Rs10 lakh for those who lost their lands. Each family in the relief camp is also entitled to Rs10,000 for initial rehabilitation.”
“In addition to the government aid, we are getting lots of offers for redevelopment and rehabilitation from the corporate sector and NGOs. Things are improving as currently only 15,000 people are in relief camps in Wayand as compared to the 30,000 in the initial days.”