Kerala’s General Education and Labour Minister V. Sivankutty announced on Tuesday that schools in landslide-affected Wayanad, currently serving as relief camps, will soon resume classes. The minister stated that classes will commence within 10-20 days after a meeting with teachers, PTA, and other stakeholders. Before resuming classes, all essential facilities in the schools will be improved. This decision aligns with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s directives to ensure that the education of children in the affected areas is not hindered.
The General Education Department reported that 36 children have tragically died and 17 remain missing due to the landslides. A total of 316 individuals were relocated to relief camps, and five are currently undergoing treatment. The department also noted that 276 students lost textbooks and 438 lost other study materials in the disaster.
To address the disruption to education, alternative arrangements have been made for students of the Vellarmala Government Vocational Higher Secondary school and the Mundakkai government lower primary school, both of which were damaged due to landslides. These arrangements will be facilitated in a hall owned by the Meppadi grama panchayat and the Meppadi government higher secondary school.
The Minister further announced that the Labour Board has decided to provide financial assistance to laborers injured in the landslides and to the next of kin of workers who perished in the disaster. This assistance will also extend to migrant workers, covering their treatment costs. Sivankutty stated that Rs one lakh will be provided as a first installment to the families of laborers who lost their lives in the landslides.
As of Monday, the death toll due to the landslides had reached 226. Search and rescue operations continue in the affected areas.
