‘This Silence Is Unbearable’: Survivors Of Wayanad Landslide As Mundakkai, Chooralmala Remain Ghost Towns
In the three wards of Meppadi Panchayat--Punchirimattam, Mundakkai, and Chooralmala--there are no residents left. Even the houses that remained intact after narrowly escaping nature’s fury remain closed.
Wayanad (Kerala), Mar 31 (PTI): Suhara Joseph, 56, was taking a respite from the scorching heat under the shade of a shop in Chooralmala in Wayanad district, blankly looking across the Bailey bridge at the rubble where her house once stood.
She had just returned from the spot where her home had been completely wiped away, with not even a trace left, as huge boulders swept it away on July 30 last year in the worst landslide Kerala has ever witnessed.
She reluctantly returned to the shade, as she was alone and afraid of fainting in the scorching sun.
"I am least concerned about the house and the properties we lost, but I can't get over the fact that the people who were so close to us are all gone," Suhara told PTI, choking with emotion as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Suhara survived because she was at a hospital for her husband's treatment. All the neighbours who had visited them at the hospital the previous night perished.
Eight months after the disaster, the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions resemble a ghost town, with an eerie silence surrounding them.
Once a bustling hub of tourist activity, this beautiful valley in Meppadi, Wayanad, is now devoid of residents or visiting tourists.
Even nature itself seems to be standing still, as the mud- and boulder-covered area remains brown, with no new plant life sprouting from the rubble.
When night falls, wild animals take over the region, and elephants often wander through the rubble.
"I am just going to see the place where my uncle and aunt lived. We have lost everyone--friends, family. This silence is unbearable," said Faisal, who often visits the disaster site, still unable to fathom the quietness of the place, as he told PTI.
For many like Faisal, who often visit the places where their loved ones once lived, it is a journey to connect with their past, their memories, and often a homage to those who lost their lives in the landslides.
"Many of them still remain buried deep somewhere here. This place is like a tomb for our relatives, and visitors may not respect it," Faisal said with deep sorrow, fully aware that there would be a barrage of visitors to the site if it were opened for tourism.
The local people had given a memorandum to the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, requesting him not to open the place for tourist.
In the three wards of Meppadi Panchayat--Punchirimattam, Mundakkai, and Chooralmala--there are no residents left. Even the houses that remained intact after narrowly escaping nature’s fury remain closed.
In the partially damaged houses, all that can be found are broken household items, books, and other belongings--once woven so closely with the vibrant life that thrived here--now standing as sorrowful reminders of what happened in the early morning hours of July 30.
The flood marks on these houses remain intact, a stark reminder of how furious the nature’s assault was on these hapless people. In most of the remaining areas, only iron bars and pieces of concrete serve as evidence that houses once stood there, sheltering the families.
"I have been working on a farm here for over a decade. Every morning, I used to take the road we lost to the landslides. I knew everyone here, and now there is no one. Now, when I ride along the other road to the farm, memories constantly replay in my mind--it is very difficult," said an estate worker in Mundakkai.
It is this silence that people fear--the rows of houses with no human presence, the whiteness of a place that was once lush green, and the huge boulders that razed years of togetherness and survival.
Only one three-member tribal family now remains in Punchirimattam.
They have refused to comply with the government's orders to relocate and are adamant about continuing to live where they always have.
Chooralmala and Mundakkai were once among the most preferred tourist destinations in Wayanad. There used to be a large number of visitors, helping the local economy thrive. But after July 30, the entire scenario has changed.
Around 53 shop and building owners in Chooralmala town are now struggling to survive. Many either lost their shops or had them damaged in the landslide. With tourism banned in the area and no residents left in the locality, these shopkeepers have lost their livelihoods.
"Before the disaster, you wouldn't even find space to park a bike in this town. It was so lively, and I was living off the rent I received from this three-storey building," said a shop owner in Chooralmala town.
He is now selling tender coconuts and pickled vegetables in a portion of his building, desperately trying to support his family.
The shop owners in the area say they have submitted several memorandums to both the Revenue Minister and the Chief Minister, but they have not received any response to date.
The government has decided not to allow disaster tourism in the area, and only pass holders are permitted to cross the Bailey bridge to access Mundakkai and Punchirimattam.
Apart from government officials, police officers, and people from other parts of Chooralmala, there are hardly any outsiders visiting the area.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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