Kerala Catholic Bishops' Committee to build 100 houses for landslide victims in Wayanad

The decision was taken in an August 5 meeting chaired by President Cardinal Basilios Clemis Katholika Bawa at Mount St. Thomas in Kakanad.

All dioceses, monastic communities, church institutions, individuals and systems of the Kerala Catholic Church are working jointly on the disaster management plan.

"In the first phase, 100 families in Wayanad and Vilangad areas who have lost their land, house and household goods will be provided with houses at the location suggested by the government. These houses are also provided with necessary household appliances," the committee said.

It also mentioned that the services of expert doctors and medical teams serving in the Church's hospitals will be made available on demand and the trauma counselling service already provided by the church will continue.

"Kerala Social Service Forum, the social service arm of the Kerala Catholic Church, has been tasked with leading the relief work. The said service unit works under the Justice Peace and Development Commission of KCBC," it added.

"All these activities will be carried out under the leadership of the Church as per the instructions of the Disaster Management Department of the Government of Kerala. Kerala Catholic Church shares in the grief of the brothers and sisters who lost everything due to landslides in Wayanad and Vilangad. Praying for the peace of those who lost their lives. Even though the words of comfort are not enough to wipe away the tears of those who have lost their land, house, livelihood and household goods that they have earned by working for a lifetime, the goodness of the Malayalees mind has already been released through the promises of help from many people," the letter from KCBC said.

Meanwhile, Kerala ADGP (law and order) MR Ajith Kumar said on Tuesday that the rescue and search operations in connection with the landslides that claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad have entered the last stage.

Ajith Kumar said that most of the accessible land area has been covered and the next focus will be to search the inaccessible areas.

Wayanad's Chooralmala and Mundakkai were hit by massive landslides on July 30 claiming over 300 lives and creating widespread property damage. The search operations have entered the eighth day today.

As per the State Health Ministry, the death toll stands at 308 as of August 2. 226 bodies and 181 body parts have been recovered so far and 180 people are still missing. (ANI)