A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday directed the State authorities to provide basic facilities, including food, drinking water and medical aid, to tribals at Vaniyampuzha, Tharippapetti, Iruttukuthy, Thandamkallu and Kumbalappara hamlets in forests across the Chaliyar river at Munderi in Nilambur.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice A.J. Desai and Justice V.G. Arun passed the order on a writ petition filed by Aryadan Shoukath, former chairperson of Nilambur municipality, and another person.
The petitioners pointed out that the tribal communities at Pothugal, Vazhikadavu and Karulai grama panchayats in Nilambur are living in miserable conditions due to the inaction of government authorities. In fact, families living in the tribal hamlets under these panchayats were affected by the floods of 2018 and 2019. The tribals at Vaniyampuzha, Tharippapetti, Iruttukuthy, Thandamkallu and Kumbalappara are residing on the banks of the Chaliyar river. The tribals at Punjakolli, and Alakkal in Vazhikadavu panchayat are residing on the banks of the Punnapuzha river, while tribals are also residing at Vattikallu and Pulimunda in Karulai panchayat. These tribes belong to the Cholanayka and Kattunayka communities.
The bridges connecting the tribal hamlets to the mainland and their houses were washed away in the floods of 2018 and 2019. As a result, the tribals had lost their access to the mainland. They do not have basic facilities such as drinking water and are facing starvation. They are forced to depend on bamboo rafts to cross the Chaliyar and Punnapuzha rivers. During monsoon, it is not possible to cross these rivers and children are unable to attend schools for nearly six months in a year. This has affected the tribals’ health and education, the petitioners pointed out.
The petitioners alleged that the funds provided in the State Budgets as well as by the Centre for the rehabilitation and upliftment of the tribals had not been reaching these tribal communities.
The petitioners have sought a directive to build the bridges connecting the tribal hamlets and to reconstruct the house of tribals in the three panchayats. They have made a plea for a directive to the authorities to provide land to the tribals under the provisions of the Kerala Reconstruction on Transfer By and Restoration of Lands to Scheduled Tribes Act, 1999.
The petitioners have also sought a directive to provide sufficient ration articles and provisions at their hamlets.
