The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has ordered urgent rehabilitation for around 26 Paniya tribal households living in makeshift tarpaulin shelters. Their permanent homes were destroyed in the August 2019 floods, forcing them to live in plastic-sheet tents under tree cover near the Chaliyar river.
After local media coverage highlighted the prolonged neglect, the commission took up the matter as a suo motu case. A judicial member directed the Malappuram district collector and the project officer of the Scheduled Tribes Development Department to submit a detailed status report within a week.
The requested report must detail existing rehabilitation measures, current living conditions, and a fixed timeline for relocation. Residents have reported receiving only temporary promises over the years regarding land allotment and house construction.