District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary and Sub Judge M. Shabir Ibrahim visited the marooned tribal hamlets across the Chlaiyar river on Thursday and examined the living conditions of the 300-odd tribal families there.
The judge had to cross the river standing on a bamboo raft to reach the hamlets off the Munderi Government Seed Garden Complex in Pothukal panchayat. It was his second visit to the hamlets within a few months following a directive by the High Court.
After examining the poor living conditions at Iruttukuthy, Vaniyampuzha, and Tharippapotti hamlets, Mr. Ibrahim said that he will give a detailed report to the High Court.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary Aryadan Shoukath had filed a public interest litigation along with V.K. Sudha, a former member of the Vana Samrakshana Samiti from Vaniyampuzha hamlet, at the High Court seeking an improvement in the living conditions for the 300-odd tribal families.
Flood-hit
The tribal families in those hamlets have virtually been leading a marooned life ever since the concrete bridges across the Chaliyar were destroyed in the floods of 2019. Many families were living in tarpaulin sheds in the forest after their homes were devastated in the floods.
The judge had submitted a report to the High Court following his first visit. Based on this report, a Division Bench of Chief Justice A.J. Desai and Justice V.G. Arun issued an order on August 17 to provide drinking water and bio-toilets at the hamlets within two weeks.
When the High Court sought an explanation from the government after its order was not implemented, Integrated Tribal Development Programme (ITDP) district officer K.S. Sreerekha filed an affidavit saying that they had installed three bio-toilets as well as drinking water facilities. The ITDP officer also said that the houses in the hamlets were fit for living.
‘Affidavit contested’
The government officials had said that the 39 families of Iruttukuthy hamlet had houses and some of the houses destroyed in the floods had been reconstructed under the LIFE scheme, and all of them had power supply. They further said that the houses at Vaniyampuzha hamlet were in good condition.
However, when the lawyer for Mr. Shoukath contested the veracity of the ITDP official’s affidavit, the Chief Justice ordered the Malappuram DLSA to examine the conditions at the hamlets and give a fresh report in four weeks.
The judge found that some of the claims made in the government affidavit were not correct. The tribespeople said that they were using muddy water collected from pits near the river, and that they had no other drinking water facility.
The judge was accompanied by government and civic officials. Thunderbolt commandoes provided security for the judge as he entered the hamlets in the jungle.
