The Wayanad district administration has banned unauthorised visits to the landslide-affected areas because of an unexpected spike in the number of visitors from Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The reason for the rise in visitors at the landslide-affected Chooralmala and Mundakkai is said to be because of the relaxation in search operations after all hopes of finding anyone alive are lost.

District forest officer Ajith K. Raman said in a statement that visitors are also stopped from going to the scenic Soojipara waterfalls under the forest department until further orders. The Kerala forest department has increased patrolling in Punchirimattom in upper Mundakkai and Attamala. Theft from abandoned houses is another reason the administration has stopped unauthorised visitors.

Although most of the visitors are curious to experience the aftermath of one of the deadliest landslides in Kerala and much of the neighbouring states, opportunists have been taking advantage of the situation to loot unguarded houses that are either partially damaged or at risk of collapsing.

The police have intensified night patrol in the areas because of the recurring instances of theft.

Multiple landslides had swept away Mundakkai and Chooralmala in the wee hours of July 30, killing more than 400 residents, several cattle and pets, besides leaving no trace of hundreds of houses in the two villages.

The State Level Bankers’ Committee that met in Thiruvananthapuram decided to grant a year's moratorium on loans due from the landslide-affected residents. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Monday urged the banks to write off the loans.