[15] The Iruvanjippuzha and Chaliyar rivers, both originating in the Western Ghats, flow westward towards the Arabian Sea due to the steep gradient from east to west.

[17][18][19] According to Meppadi government disaster mitigation documents prepared in 2020, the villages of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Puthumala, Attamala, Vellithodu, Thrikkaippatta, and Kottatharavayal are highly sensitive to landslides and flash floods.

[20] The villages of Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Vellarimala are located on hilly terrain and farmland used for tea and coffee plantations, such as Harrisons Malayalam Limited.

[22] Due to the heavy rainfall, residents of Punjirimattom, Attamala, and Mundakkai were relocated to relief camps by local authorities starting on 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29).

[28] The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a subsidiary of the Indian Space Research Organisation, analyzed satellite imagery and released their findings on 1 August 2024 (2024-08-01).

According to Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, these restrictions cost more than ₹25 crore (US$2.9 million) to the business community in the impacted areas.

[39] Wildlife activists noted a relatively low number of wild animal deaths, despite large swathes of forests being flattened by the landslides, because of their heightened alertness to natural disasters.

[41] Due to continuous heavy rains and the risk of further landslides, search operations could not begin until later in the day on 30 July, when numerous rescuers from various groups were deployed.

[42][43] The Indian Army established a command-and-control center in Kozhikode district to coordinate humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations on 31 July.

[47] The Kerala government also established 45 relief camps in Wayanad, providing shelter to over 4,000 people, while the state health department set up a control room to offer emergency assistance.

[50] During the rescue operation in Mundakkai village, advanced radar detected signs of breathing beneath the soil; by evening, it was determined that these were more likely from animals rather than trapped humans.

An aerial survey of the affected areas was conducted by Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan and Army Station Commander M. P. Salil in order to assess the damage and carry out rescue operations.

Search teams were delivered to inaccessible areas along the Chaliyar river with Air Force helicopters, and the use of heavy machines and K9 dog squads in Chooralmala and Mundakkai continued.

[69] The Indian Army withdrew partially from search operations and handed over further activities to the NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), firefighters, and the Kerala police.

[70] Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requested that volunteers avoid sending provisions, clothes, vegetables or confectionery to the disaster zone, instead to provide financial contributions for rehabilitation as nearly 400 truckloads of relief materials was in surplus.

[71][72] The State government began to allow survivors and next-of-kin of the missing or dead to take part in the final search operation between 06:00 and 11:00 IST on 9 August, along with disaster management authorities and medical teams.

[114] Numerous volunteers from political parties, charity institutions, religious, social, and cultural organizations registered themselves with the district administration and became involved at the affected sites and relief camps.

[121] Students from various schools in Wayanad also distributed relief materials and food supplies to the landslide survivors, and provided physical assistance and emotional support.

[143] Seismologists later explained the incident as a "hilling effect", in which a weakened land mass shifts naturally to regain stability, creating a rumbling sound.

[144] VPS Healthcare, a multinational company based in Abu Dhabi, provided extraction support to the search and rescue teams and medical treatment to injured residents.

[170] Harrisons Malayalam Limited pledged to transfer about 2,500 square metres (0.25 ha) of land to local authorities for burial in Vellarmala village.

[178][179] V. D. Satheesan, Leader of opposition in the Kerala assembly, pledged bear the life-long expenses of a young survivor who lost her entire family.

Temporary shelters and medical support were provided to 90 cattle, 22 dogs, 7 cats, and more than 50 fowls by the Humane Society International and in some cases, surviving villagers adopted them.

[196] The state government of Kerala announced on 12 August assistance of ₹10,000 (US$120) per month per family to those who lost everything to the landslides in the Mundakai and Churalmala areas of Wayanad district.

[294][295] Indian Union Muslim League President Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said that in addition to the 100 homes, work, medicine and education would be essential for the survival of poor people and a comprehensive rehabilitation package would be implemented.

He said Caritas India is already on the ground, coordinating with its local partners such as Wayanad Social Service Society, Shreyas, and Jeevana to deliver immediate relief support and trauma counseling to those affected by the crisis.

The chief minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan denied these claims, emphasising that the Comptroller and Auditor General audited the CMDRF from 2016 to 2019 and found no irregularities.

He further stated that the CMDRF was completely open to scrutiny by the Kerala Legislative Assembly and operated entirely on a transparent electronic platform that tracked all incoming and outgoing funds.

[322] In response to the allegations against the CMDRF, FIRs were lodged against 14 individuals, including the owner of online news portal Marunadan Malayali, Shajan Skaria[323] and film director Akhil Marar.

[330] A controversy arose when police closed the White Guard kitchen on 4 August, which provided free food to 7,000 people a day at the Wayanad landslides.