India, March 27 -- Eight months after multiple landslides killed over 260 people and left more than 2,500 homeless in Wayanad's Meppadi, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the first model township as part of the rehabilitation programme for the survivors.

The township, to be built over 64.4 hectares in Elstone estate near Kalpetta town, will comprise 430 homes with 1,000 sqft area in seven-cent (one cent is 435.56 sqft) plots each. Apart from the homes, the township will have facilities such as a market, an anganwadi, play areas for kids, overhead water tank, sewage facilities, community centre and public toilets, officials said.

The state government deposited Rs.26.5 crore as compensation f...