Kalpetta – One year ago, a deadly landslide wiped the Kerala villages of Mundakkai and Chooralmala off the map, claiming 298 lives, including 32 still missing. The night of July 30, 2024, remains etched in collective memory — a terrifying chapter of destruction, helplessness, and unimaginable loss.
Steady rains had lashed the Vellarimala foothills for days. Locals along the Punnappuzha river, used to seasonal floods and chilling monsoons, went to bed unaware of the silent disaster taking shape above them. Around midnight, a deadly landslide broke loose from Vellolippara, just three kilometers from Mundakkai. Tons of soil and rock came crashing down, burying homes in seconds. Mundakkai vanished in the blink of an eye.
What followed was chaos. Another landslide struck soon after, forming a temporary dam of debris and floodwater that thundered down into Chooralmala. The rushing water, as tall as a two-story building, split the village in half and swept away everything in its path.
In just 48 hours, the region was battered by 572 mm of rainfall. No official alerts were issued before the catastrophe.
A year later, scars remain — not only on the land but in the lives of 402 families who continue to live in makeshift shelters. Despite state government promises of swift rehabilitation, progress has stalled. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited Chooralmala shortly after the disaster, pledged that relief would not be hindered by a lack of funds. But Kerala’s hope for a special relief package from the Centre was dashed. All it received was a ₹529 crore loan — no direct financial aid.
For the survivors, many of whom lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods, the wait for a permanent roof continues. A year on, they are still refugees in their own land, holding on to hope amidst government inaction and broken promises.
