Wayanad Marks Two Years Since Landslide Tragedy

On the anniversary, residents assembled at the disaster site and at the newly constructed rehabilitation township. They offered prayers, lit candles and recalled those who did not survive. For many families the loss remains immediate; some never recovered the bodies of relatives. The sound of heavy rain or the appearance of dark clouds continues to trigger anxiety among those who lived through the night of the landslide.

At the same time, signs of renewed daily life are visible in the government-built township. Children play in streets that did not exist two years ago. Among the new residents is a child named Rithu, born after her mother, Sindhu, escaped the landslide while pregnant. The family’s present home is cited by neighbours as one example of a life restarted after displacement. Similar accounts of gradual rebuilding are reported across the settlement.

Wayanad Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra marked the occasion with a social-media message. “Two years since the tragedy that devastated the people of Chooralmala and Mundakkai, we pay homage to the bravery and resilience of the people of Wayanad,” she wrote. She added a pledge of continued support: “We renew our pledge to stand by them in the courageous fight to rebuild their lives and provide them with comfort as they carry deep wounds of loss in their hearts.”

The anniversary combined public mourning with recognition of the practical efforts under way to rehouse and support those displaced. While the original villages remain buried, the rehabilitation township and the quiet resumption of family life represent the community’s ongoing attempt to move forward from the scale of loss recorded in July 2024.