The construction work of the model township for the rehabilitation of the Mundakai-Churalmala landslide victims commenced on Saturday morning at the Elstone Estate near Kalpetta.

The work for the construction of model township began a day after the Kerala High Court allowed the state government to take possession of the Elstone Estate land, meant for the project, after depositing an additional Rs 17 crore in the account of the High Court registry in addition to the Rs.26 crore already deposited.

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Following the High Court order, Wayanad District Collector Meghashree D R and other concerned officials acquired the Elston Tea Estate land for the construction during Friday night.

The authorities of the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), the main contractor of the project, said that the construction work has commenced and the project will be completed quickly.

The Kerala High Court on Friday allowed the state government to take physical possession of the 64 acres of land at Elstone Estate in Wayanad, for building a township for the victims of the landslides that hit the hill district last year, subject to the deposit of an additional Rs 17 crore with the High Court Registry.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu passed the interim order while admitting a petition filed by Elstone Tea Estate seeking a directive to the State government to pay it the market value of the land being acquired for establishing a township for the Wayanad landslide survivors.