Survey to assess land value for rehabilitation of Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide survivors begins

Survey begins to assess agricultural land value in Elston and Nedumbala estates for township construction in Wayanad.

The survey to assess the value of agricultural land in Elston and Nedumbala estates designated for setting up townships to rehabilitate landslide survivors from the Mundakkai-Chooralmala regions in Wayanad began on Wednesday.

As many as 10 teams of officials, including those from Revenue, Survey, Forest and Agriculture departments, will carry out the survey under the supervision of special officer J.O. Arun and Additional District Magistrate M.K. Devaki. Each team will survey and mark five hectares. The survey would be completed in five days, officials said.

The area earmarked for the township will exclude sections deemed unsuitable for rehabilitation and construction. However, permission will be granted for plantation activities on lands not designated for resettlement. Once the field survey is finalised, construction activities for the townships will begin.

Considering variations in land valuation, families to be resettled in Elston Estate will receive five cents each, while those in Nedumbala will be allocated 10 cents.

Even after resettlement, land ownership in the disaster-affected areas will remain with the respective individuals, and the land will not go back to government control. To prevent places affected by the landslides from getting forested, opportunities for their productive uses, such as collective farming, will be considered.