Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 19 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will lay the foundation stone on February 26 for 50 houses being constructed by the Congress for survivors of the Wayanad natural disaster.
The ceremony will be held at 2 pm at Kunnambetta in Meppadi panchayat, said KPCC president Sunny Joseph MLA on Thursday.
The housing initiative forms part of the Congress party’s rehabilitation effort in the aftermath of the devastating landslides that struck Mundakkai and Chooralmala in July 2024.
The tragedy ravaged four villages in Wayanad, leaving a trail of destruction across the hilly region.
It injured hundreds, claimed over 200 lives, and left 32 people still missing.
More than 1, 500 houses and buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, displacing entire communities overnight.
Nearly 600 hectares (about 1, 483 acres) of land, including vast stretches of farm plots and plantations, were devastated, crippling agricultural livelihoods.
Initial government estimates placed property losses at approximately Rs 1, 200 crore, underscoring the magnitude of the catastrophe.
For the Congress housing project, a total of 5.42 acres has been earmarked, with 3.24 acres already registered and the remaining 2.18 acres to be registered this week.
Each beneficiary will receive eight cents of land, and each house will have a built-up area of 1, 100 square feet.
Soil structure testing and water-flow studies have been completed, and environmental engineering measures have been finalised to ensure safe and durable construction.
In the next phase, an additional five acres will be acquired in the Ezhanchira area of Meppadi panchayat to build another 50 houses.
The beneficiaries include families who had been living in temporary shelters and those excluded from the government’s list on technical grounds.
During the function, financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each will be distributed to 40 shop owners who did not receive government aid, following intervention by local MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after meeting them.
Congress and UDF leaders, along with prominent personalities, are expected to attend the ceremony, marking a significant step in the region's rehabilitation as it rebuilds its shattered communities.