Kerala considers Nedumpala Estate for Wayanad townships

The Kerala government is considering using the Nedumpala Estate for building townships for landslide survivors in Wayanad. This comes after a February Cabinet decision to focus only on the Elstone Estate in the first phase. Revenue Minister K. Rajan explained that Nedumpala could still be included if there is not enough space for all survivors at Elstone. Rajan said the government plans to break ground on the Elstone township on March 27. The government previously announced they will develop both estates to support those affected by the landslides in July 2024. He emphasized that facilities like schools and hospitals would need to be created at Nedumpala, while some services would also have to be built at Elstone. He assured that current residents at the Elstone Estate would not be forced to leave during construction. The choice of these estates came after a review, where experts identified safe locations for rehabilitation. Rajan aims to complete Elstone's housing by the end of the government's term. The original proposal included plans for both estates, with 58.50 hectares for Elstone and 48.96 hectares for Nedumpala, but the Cabinet modified it in February. Rajan noted that rebuilding homes is only part of helping survivors; restoring their livelihoods is also crucial. Additionally, he mentioned a new program with a budget of ₹78 crore for animal husbandry, as well as plans for collective farming on disaster-impacted lands. The government has allocated ₹5 crore to redesign Chooralmala as a disaster-resilient town, following recommendations from disaster management engineers.