Residents of tribal hamlets in Ernakulam demand repair of bridges damaged in 2018 floods

The tribespeople of Kunjipara, Thalavechupara, Variyam, Vellaramkuthu and Meenkulam hamlets in Ernakulam district have demanded the reconstruction of the two damaged bridges that connected them to the mainland.

The tribespeople of Kunjipara, Thalavechupara, Variyam, Vellaramkuthu and Meenkulam hamlets in Ernakulam district have demanded the reconstruction of the two damaged bridges that connected them to the mainland.

The two bridges at Kallelimedu and Kunjuppara were damaged in the 2018 floods. The absence of proper road connectivity has hit the lives of the tribespeople. Their plight was brought to light in a recent survey conducted by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).

The tribespeople also demanded a revised allocation for the construction of houses under the LIFE Mission project. The cost of transportation of construction materials to the hamlets has added to the cost of construction of houses. The allocation of ₹6 lakh per unit was found insufficient for completing the houses. The tribespeople had demanded that the allocation be revised to ₹8 lakh a unit, said the survey report.

Many tribespeople complained about the non-payment of compensation for houses damaged in the 2018 floods. The residents complained that the funds for the maintenance of the houses constructed under the LIFE Mission project were yet to reach many.

The outcome of the survey was handed over to Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes K. Radhakrishnan for consideration, said DLSA Secretary N. Renjith Krishnan.

As many as 30 volunteers of National Service Scheme Unit 5 of the Cochin University of Science and Technology, led by programme officer S. Aparna Lakshmanan, participated in the survey.

The collection of foodgrains from ration shops has turned into an expensive and tedious affair for the tribespeople, with ration shop owners stopping doorstep delivery of materials to the hamlets. Earlier, the proprietors of shops were offered incentives for delivering foodgrains to the hamlets. However, the State government later stopped the incentives for the ration dealers. The survey report noted that it had forced the tribespeople to undertake long journeys to shops at faraway places to collect ration.