Wayanad: One of the worst affected people in the landslide zones of Chooral Mala and Mundakkai are the tea estate workers and their families. Nearly 30 percent of those died in the Mundakkai region are either the staffs and their family members of the ‘Sentinel Rock’ tea estate that has 250 employees who stay at a quarter situated near to the Mundakkai river.
However, with the rescue operations and identification process going on in full swing, its still unclear as how many tea estate workers and family members died in the massive landslides that originated at ‘Punchiri Vattom’, a region lying above the Mundakkai area.
Praveen Kumar, a resident of the estate lane in Chooral Mala was seen waiting outside the relief camp. His brother Prajesh and neighbor Chandu had died while they were at the rescue operations assisting the NDRF team at Chooral Mala two hours after the first landslide.
“Both my brother and friend were busy evacuating people from the estate. Then the second landslide happened following which both were missing. Prajeesh’s body was recovered by the rescue personnel, but Chandu is still missing from the spot. Prajeesh saved three people including an elderly person in the nearby house and our pet dog. However, he could not save himself”, said Praveen with tears flowing out of his eyes from Chooral Mala.
Jais, a resident of Meppadi who are closely associated with the estate workers in Chooral Mala told News9 that a six member family including a field officer and his three family members are also feared to be still trapped under the concrete debris.
“It is the tea estate workers who are nearly half of those declared dead from the Mundakkai region. Barring four to five, a majority of them are locals who are been working there for a very long time”, said Jais to News9.
Most of the landslide survivors are currently at the relief camps set up at the St. Josephs UP school and the government HSS in Meppadi. Raghu, a tea estate worker in Sentinel Rock was waiting at the camp praying for the safe return of his sister and cousin brothers who is missing since Tuesday morning ever since then landslides wreaked havoc in the area.
“I am waiting for those who are being brought from the Chaliyar river. I have checked all the relief camps. I couldn’t find them till now. I am praying for their return from some place”, he said.
Similar stories were shared by the hundreds of tea estate workers who are staying in the camps in Meppadi. Meanwhile, families of those who are missing from Mundakkai have come from parts of Tamil Nadu and are waiting at the two camps.
“I have been waiting from yesterday onwards as my relative Muthuvel is still missing from the area. Initially I was told he was engaged in the rescue work. But now I am not able to trace him anywhere”, said Senthil who arrived from Nilgiris yesterday.
Similarly, there are around four to five families from Jharkhand and Bihar who have managed to escape from the fury of the landslide with their rented houses completely damaged. Most of them are in a dilemma on whether to stay back or return back home as it is certain that the normal conditions in the area will be resumed only in the coming months.
Nearly 30 percent of those died in the Mundakkai region are either the staffs and their family members of the ‘Sentinel Rock’ tea estate that has 250 employees who stay at a quarter situated near to the Mundakkai river. Kerala States News India: Top News India, States News, States News Headlines, Online State News India, State Politics news
