2026 Wayanad Landslide: Kerala High Court Directs Immediate Disbursal Of Ex-Gratia, Free Treatment For Injured

The Kerala High Court on Friday (July 10) directed the State government to ensure that ex-gratia compensation to the victims of the recent landslide in Wayanad is disbursed immediately and that for now hospitalisation and treatment expenses for the injured persons shall be incurred by the State. 

It further directed that bodies of the deceased persons be immediately handed over to their families without any delay. 

As per reports, a landslide occurred on July 7 at the site of the Anakkompoyil Meppadi tunnel project, which is intended to connect Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. 

Perusing a report submitted by the State government, Dr. Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Preeta A.K asked about the number of casualties and was informed that six persons had died. 

The court asked the authorities about the status of the recovered bodies. "Have you returned the bodies to the relatives?" the court orally enquired. To this the Member Secretary of Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said, "We have contacted the respective SDMAs...some of the families have come in...Each case after autopsy is being embalmed and facilitated for being transported". 

The court at this stage said, "See that the bodies are repatriated to the relatives, they have other rituals to be done. There should not be any delay in hand over".

With respect to injured persons in the hospital, the KSDMA said that many of them were being treated and that certain ex-gratia had already been ordered by government. 

"Ensure that the treatment happens without insisting on any payment etc., from them till discharge from hospital. Care should also be taken to the bystanders to those people. Expenses will be incurred by the government for now and all the cost by way of ex-gratia and also expenses for treatment, hospitalization will be a charge on the project. Ultimately we will decide if it has to be recouped from them or not," the court said. 

On the court's further query the KSDMA said that with regard to missing persons, active excavation was happening at the site today morning and heavy movers were there, adding that because site is very slushy human labour is at the site to ensure that the persons are found at the earliest. 

"Just ensure that the ex-gratia amount to be paid to the family of deceased as also family of injured if there is any ex gratia amount, whatever is announced, ensure that disbursal happens immediately. The recovery of that we will decide later for time being you put it as a charge on the project. Give us another report by next week," the court said. 

The court was informed that instruction for stopping construction activity was issued in May itself. The court further enquired about the persons who have been stuck after the incident and asked the authorities to inform about the same. 

The court thereafter said that it will monitor the case weekly and listed the matter next Friday. The court said that it wants compliance of the issues it had pointed out in the hearing specially the disbursal of ex-gratia payment. 

The Court was considering suo motu proceedings initiated pursuant to massive landslides in Wayanad in 2024, which resulted in widespread destruction to the lives and properties of residents there. The court is now also considering the landslide that occurred earlier this week. The Court has been actively monitoring the rehabilitation activities undertaken by the State and the support offered by the Centre since then.

As per a PTI report from Friday morning, one more body was recovered from the Wayanad landslide site taking the total number of persons killed in the disaster to seven. 

Case Title: In Re: Prevention And Management Of Natural Disasters In Kerala v. State Of Kerala

Case Number: WP(C) 28509/ 2024 & Connected Cases