Landslide survivors protest lack of promised facilities

SLUG-Harsham projectKozhikode: The landslide survivors of Puthumala blocked work at their rehabilitation site at Poothakolli in Wayanad, protesting the use of project land for housing schemes for others without providing the promised facilities at Harsham (Happiness And Resilience Shared Across Meppadi) housing project. According to landslide survivors, the state govt was planning to construct houses for 21 families who were identified as extremely poor. "We are not against providing houses for these families. But, we have been living here in a precarious situation with all the houses developing roof water leakages. Monsoon is just months away and due to the leakage, there have been instances of residents getting slight electric shocks. Though we have raised the issue several times with the govt, it remains unaddressed. We will allow allotment of land for other housing projects only when our issue is addressed," said Junaid P, secretary of Harsham residents' association.Harsham project was envisaged as the state govt's model rehabilitation project for the survivors of the 2019 Puthumala landslide that had killed 22 people and wiped out dozens of houses. As many as 49 houses were built on seven acres donated by a charitable trust and funded by various organizations. The state govt also provided funding for the project under LIFE Mission.Junaid said that the govt had promised to set up a playground, an anganwadi and a children's park at the housing project, but none of them have materialized. He added that the state govt should earmark land for these promised facilities.Residents said that though the foundation stone was laid for a health centre recently, the area earmarked for it is now being levelled. The levelling of the plot using earth movers has been going on over the past two days. However, on Wednesday, the landslide survivors blocked the construction work.