HC orders immediate relief as Wayanad toll rises to seven
THE Kerala High Court intervened on Friday after the death toll from the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel road landslide climbed to seven.
A rescue team recovered one more body from the slush today, while emergency workers continue an intensive search for one missing person near the Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi. Two people from Jharkhand and Bihar were also killed in the mudslide.
A Division Bench comprising Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice A.K. Preeta directed the state government to immediately disburse ex gratia compensation, provide free medical treatment to the injured, and hand over the victims’ bodies to their families without delay.
Expanding its ongoing suo motu proceedings—originally initiated after the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides—the High Court signalled tight judicial oversight over this latest disaster.
“Relief First, Liability Later,” Rules High Court
The Bench made it clear that immediate human relief must take precedence over legal arguments about who caused the disaster.
No Delays for Families: Upon learning that officials are embalming the bodies after post-mortem examinations, the Bench orally observed that authorities must hand over the deceased to their families immediately to avoid unnecessary hardship during final rites.
Free Medical Care: The court ordered the state government to bear all current hospital and treatment expenses for the injured, including the needs of their bystanders. “Ensure that treatment happens without insisting on any payment till discharge from hospital,” the Bench commanded.
Funding the Relief: The state will initially charge these expenses to the tunnel project. The court will decide who must ultimately repay the money at a later date.
Work Was Ordered to Stop in May
During the hearing, critical details emerged regarding the construction site where the massive mudslide struck on July 7:
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) informed the Bench that construction activity at the tunnel project site had actually been ordered to stop in May.
Unstable terrain and deep slush are currently hampering rescue operations, forcing teams to switch from heavy excavators to extensive manual searching.
High-Level Probe Launched
The political and administrative fallout continues to grow. While the state government has already launched a high-level expert probe into the project’s safety and execution, the High Court announced it will monitor the relief, rehabilitation, and investigation process on a weekly basis. The state must submit a fresh status report by next week.
