July 30: An eatery that holds the grief and grit of Wayanad landslide survivors

Set amid the verdant, mist-shrouded hills of Wayanad, Kerala, the Meppadi–Churoolmala road winds past lush tea estates, sparkling streams, and the region’s tourist attractions, including the Kanthanpara waterfall and the famed glass bridge. On this scenic route, one eatery — named ‘July 30’ — has garnered attention for reasons more interesting than its bold orange signboard.

This bakery–restaurant is named for the date of the catastrophic Wayanad landslides of 2024, a disaster in which owner Noufal K. lost 11 family members — his wife, three children and parents among them.

On 30 July 2024, after a record 372.6 mm of rain in a single day, massive landslides swept through villages like Mundakkai and Chooralmala in the Meppadi panchayat, wiping out entire communities. The disaster struck in the early morning, with debris flows and flash floods destroying homes and infrastructure. At least 298 people lost their lives, 32 went missing, and hundreds were displaced.

Mundakkai, Noufal’s village, was obliterated, adding to the tragic tally as the state faced one of its deadliest natural disasters in recent memory.

At the time, Noufal, 43, was working in Oman, where he had migrated in 2016 to support his family and save for a long-held dream — opening a restaurant with his wife.

“I lost 11 family members, including my parents, wife, two daughters, and a son. My eldest daughter, Nafla (16), was the only one whose body I could identify; the rest were confirmed through DNA samples… She (Nafla) was my beacon of hope. Even now, in times of crisis, I go to her burial place to find solace,” Noufal told PTI.

After receiving news of the landslide, he returned to Wayanad the next day and has remained there ever since.

For Noufal, naming his new establishment July 30 is both an act of remembrance and a prayer for the departed. “I want to keep alive the memories of my family and others who perished,” he said. “People may forget about this disaster five or 10 years down the line. But when they see this name, they will remember. For me, it is also a prayer for the departed souls."

Using his own savings and a grant of Rs 7 lakh from the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, with additional support from the overseas arm of the Indian Union Muslim League — which built him a 1,000 sq. ft house — Noufal opened the restaurant about nine months ago. He chose not to move into the government-established township for landslide victims in Kalpetta, opting instead to receive financial compensation and begin rebuilding independently.

The July 30 eatery has quickly become known for its beef curry, porotta, and biryani. Significantly, Noufal employs seven workers, all drawn from families directly affected by the disaster: “At least 10 families were completely wiped out that day. Through this restaurant, I want to give back, in some small way, to the survivors.”

Meanwhile, official responses to the tragedy have included the creation of a model rehabilitation township, with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan laying its foundation on 27 March and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra participating in the event. Of the 451 families eligible for the township, however, Noufal and 103 others took the Rs 15 lakh compensation instead.

Today, as the region recovers, government agencies continue to assess the damage and police have documented the destruction of at least 121 four-wheelers and 158 two-wheelers during the landslide.

Now, July 30 stands as a living memorial for one family's loss — and a symbol of resilience and shared community healing in a region forever marked by tragedy.

With PTI inputs