Wayanad landslides; rehabilitation process should be expedited

As the rescue workers continue to search tirelessly at Mundakkai, Chooralmala and Punchiri Mattam in Wayanad, where the landslides hit, the government is preparing a rehabilitation plan for the survivors. Eight of the dead bodies kept in the mortuary, in the hope that relatives would come and identify them, were buried at the same place in Puthumala on Sunday night. More than 180 remaining bodies and body parts were buried at the Harrison Company land yesterday in an emotional ceremony. A final search is underway in the Chaliyar River and adjacent forest areas. Despite the fatigue and physical weakness caused by a week's hard work, the rescue workers from various forces were sifting the disaster area yesterday and conducting searches.
The exact number of those who lost their lives in the disaster is yet to be ascertained. The official figure is 221, but the unofficial figure is over 360. About 200 people are still listed as missing. Officials are trying to collect at least an estimate through official channels. The government is preparing a comprehensive rescue package for those who have lost their homes, household goods and assets in the calamity. It is planned to find the safest place in Wayanad, build a township and later shift the disaster victims there. This is a task that requires a lot of money. Not only generous industrial and commercial leaders but also thousands of ordinary people, organizations and social workers are donating or promising to donate to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund.

Many people have come forward to donate land to those who have lost their homes. Promises have also been received to build around 500 houses. Assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund is also expected. Apart from this, Kerala can also try to get funds from central schemes. The Centre has rejected the state's demand to declare the Wayanad disaster as a national disaster. If such an announcement had been made, a large amount of assistance would have been available from MP funds. Administrators come up with a negative attitude like this when they lose the sense that laws and regulations are made to help human beings. Whether it is considered a national calamity or not, the need at this stage is to help the suffering people of Wayanad as much as possible. No law or regulation should stand in the way of it.

A massive campaign on social media against donating to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund is not at all in line with Kerala's traditions and customs. With the initiation of cases against the perpetrators of such anti-social activities, there has been some relief from such campaigns. Society must isolate those who knowingly inject poison into those who are trying to help the afflicted. Malayalees come to help in times of need in various ways regardless of caste, religion and political beliefs. That great tradition can be seen in the landslides of Wayanad too. The rehabilitation package needs to be planned as soon as possible. People who had lived happily with their family members and pets are forced to live in makeshift camps after losing their family and property. There should be no obstacles in the efforts to re-green their lives.