Fear grips Kailasampadi residents as drifting soil continues to pose threat

A recent study declared that nearly 20 acres of surrounding land is unsafe for habitation

- LAKSHMI ATHIRA @Kannur

PANIC has gripped the Kailasampadi region of Kelakam as a rare but increasingly alarming phenomenon of soil drifting continues to threaten the lives and homes of dozens of families. What began in 2004 as isolated reports of land cracking had spiralled into a full-blown crisis by 2018, leaving around 30 families living in constant fear.

The soil beneath their homes has begun to shift, visibly destabilizing the ground around them. A recent study by the State Disaster Management Authority confirmed the worst fears of residents, declaring nearly 20 acres of surrounding land unsafe for habitation. Kelakam, already identified as one of Kerala's most landslide-prone regions, has seen fresh landslides reported in nearby Boys Town and Paalchuram as the monsoon rains grow heavier by the day.