Attappadi: half-built and unmended
The infrastructure of the tribal-dominated region remains poor even after the implementation of programmes that are supposed to make it better.
The last hairpin bend to Attappadi | Video - Amarnath K
The last hairpin bend to Attappadi | Video - Amarnath K
Attappadi (Palakkad): Being the biggest tribal taluk in Kerala, spreading across 735 sq. km, Attppadi has a tribal population of 23,721. Forty-four percent of the population of Attappadi is tribal. Throughout the 192 settlements, many issues regarding the infrastructure remain unresolved even after plenty of government programmes.
A lot of the houses in the 192 settlements do not have toilets. According to Manikandan Arumugham, Attappadi correspondent of Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi, the Integrated Tribal Development Programme (ITDP) and Attappadi Hills Area Development Society (AHADS) built toilets for the tribal people. But they were reluctant to use them as they were not ready to change their habit of defecating in the open.
“When toilets were built for tribal people, the government didn’t give them proper orientation on why they should use the toilets. The government failed to implement a healthy behaviour of sanitation among them,” Arumugham said. “The new generation is going outside for studies and gets accustomed to toilets. But, now, when they need it, the government is not implementing schemes to build toilets,” he said.
Different missions implemented by the government end up being a sham. A report published by The Hindu shows that funds implemented by the Swachh Bharat Mission by the central government are misappropriated. It left behind dysfunctional toilets and renovated buildings. The infrastructure as a whole in Attappadi is not very different.
The bridge that leads to the Sambar Kodu tribal settlement in Attappadi was destroyed in the 2018 floods. It is not yet renovated even after several petitions being sent to the government. This makes the lives of the people living there hard. Last year, an elephant killed Nanchan, a 60-year-old resident of Samar Kodu.
Murughan singing the folk song about the broken bridge written by him | Amarnath K
Murughan singing the folk song about the broken bridge written by him | Amarnath K
“When the elephant attacked him we took him to the hospital travelling an extra 5 km. If the bridge had been functional we could have reached the hospital in time to save him,” said Murugan, Nanchan's son-in-law.
The people of a tribal settlement called Vannatharamedu face the same issue due to the bridge that was broken five years ago. They have to take an alternative road that makes them travel 6km more to reach the town.
The animal-human conflict is a prominent issue in Attappadi. Besides the killings of people, wild animals like elephants destroy houses in tribal settlements. Still, there is no system to tackle the issue or reconstruct the houses destroyed by them. Manikandan, an inhabitant of the Abbannur tribal settlement lives in a house that was destroyed by an elephant. His sister-in-law was also attacked and killed by an elephant. Even after incessant requests, the authority has not sanctioned the fund to mend the house.
The people of Abbannur face continuous attacks from elephants. The animals pass through the colony most of the day, destroying their houses as well as agriculture. They installed low-powered electric wires to tackle the elephants, for which police have filed cases against them.
“They do not mind even if big resorts install high-powered electric wires. But, we, who set up wires connected to low-power batteries to save our lives, are criminals in their eyes,” he said. We have many times cried in front of offices to get help in mending houses and tackling the attacks,” he continued.
The poor infrastructure affects the lives of the people in Attappadi. “There are many mobile health units in Attappadi, but the poor roads make it hard for them to reach most of the colonies,” said Arumukham. A girl named Suchita died two years ago due to sickle cell anemia, which is a common disease in Attappadi. According to her mother, Santhi, the ambulance took time to reach their home. No vehicle other than four-wheel drive off-roaders can reach most of the colonies.
The way to Suchita's home at Aanayur tribal settlement | Video - Amarnath K
The way to Suchita's home at Aanayur tribal settlement | Video - Amarnath K
Ranganathan, 28, died last year after the roof collapsed over his head.
His father had been applying for financial help since 2020 to renovate the house that was destroyed during a natural disaster.
Even though they were eligible for help from the ITDP, the money was withheld stating that they would not get help from the Kerala government’s Life Mission programme if the ITDF sanctioned the fund.
The infrastructure of Attappadi remains dreadful, with the government being reluctant to help them.
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