Dozens of tribal families living in squalid conditions in Vaniyampuzha, Tharippapotti, Iruttukuthy, Thandamkallu and Kumbalappara hamlets in an isolated swathe of forest across the Chaliyar river at Munderi near Nilambur are on the warpath, finally.
Marooned and uncared for, they have been living in pitiable conditions ever since the 2018 floods took away many of their homes as well as the three bridges across the Chaliyar. Their cries for safer houses and facilities such as drinking water and power and at least a bridge to connect to the the mainland have fallen on deaf ears, even five years after the devastation.
It has been a year since the State Human Rights Commission ordered the Scheduled Tribes Development department (STDD) to construct a new bridge across the Chaliyar at Munderi for the 140-odd families living in the five tribal hamlets. But, the bridge still remains on paper.
The tribespeople are planning to take out a march to the District Collectorate here on Monday. Tribal heads or moopans such as Billy (Vaniyampuzha), Vellan (Tharippapotty), Chathan (Kumbalappara), and Kummadanan (Thandankallu) will lead the agitation on Monday. Dozens of women and children are expected to join the agitation as the tribespeople are preparing to spend yet another monsoon in the jungle across the Chaliyar with hardly any access to the mainland.
There are more than 40 families in Vaniyampuzha, 20 in Tharippapotty, 37 in Iruttukuthy, 18 in Kumbalappara, and 32 in Thandamkallu. A large portion of the Vaniyampuzha hamlet was destroyed in the 2019 floods. The families at Vaniyampuzha escaped the floods by running into the forests. They have been living in tarpaulin sheds in the elephant-infested forest. Two or three families are living in each shed, with little safety from wild animals. They sleep on treetops to escape night raids by elephants.
“We have sent many memorandums to the authorities demanding houses and facilities like power and drinking water. None has cared for us. We read about tribal funds in newspapers. But we are still living without any facilities,” said S. Gireesh, a youngster from Vaniyampuzha hamlet.
Although the Revenue department under the leadership of former District Collector Jafar Malik had constructed a hanging bridge by raising funds from the staff, the floods of 2019 washed that bridge away.
The tribespeople have been depending on bamboo rafts to cross the river to reach the mainland since then. However, when the river swells in the monsoon, they will be totally cut off from the mainland.
