Thiruvananthapuram | The National Service Scheme (NSS) units in Kerala have contributed over Rs 4.5 crore to the state government's reconstruction efforts in Mundakkai and Chooralmala, the landslide-hit hamlets in Wayanad.

The amount is earmarked for the construction of houses within a proposed township being set up by the government there as part of the rehabilitation, a CMO statement said on Tuesday.

The funds were raised through a variety of programmes, including the waste paper challenge, biryani challenge, art exhibition, food festival, and Onam fest, organised by all NSS units in the state, it said.

The National Service Scheme also announced that the next phase of their initiative in this regard, which lasts for one month, began on Tuesday, the statement added.