Mullaperiyar still gives them the creeps

 

Whenever a strong wind blows or it rains heavily, Nagaraj, 54, of Vallakkadavu trembles.   He and his wife Vanagakumary lose their sleep and  curse the government  for doing nothing about their safety as they live hardly ten metres from the Periyar river.

 

The residents  of Vallakadavu,  who spoke to Deccan Chronicle, appeared to have lost all hope about their future which was evident from their words and their body language.  They held the government in contempt and criticised the Supreme Court for allowing Tamil Nadu to raise the dam water level. 

 

Rajamani, a local resident said, “We are tired of requesting the authorities to take steps to protect the dam. We would be submerged  if the dam, which is  just four km from our house, bursts.  Occasionally when a wind rages, we come out of the house and stare outside. We are spending sleepless nights,” he said. 

 

Nagaraj owns 19  cents of land in Vallakkadavu where   he has a house and a tea shop. He says his three children (two boys and one girl) are not even getting marriage proposals  and no one wants his land.   Nagaraj and Rajamani have been living in Vallakkadavu for the last 55 years, though their ancestors are from Tamil Nadu. 

 

“Thousands of families are living on both sides of  Periyar river and they are under constant fear. If politicians had not created a fear psychosis, we could have lived here peacefully. But we can be saved only by the construction of a new dam,”  says Hassankutty, another resident. 

 

The people allege that the state government had failed to get a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court due to administrative incompetence.  

“Sixty percent of the people residing in Vallakkadavu are from Tamil Nadu. The Malayalis and Tamils  are worried about their safety, not about the issues  between  the two governments,”  says Sudhan. 

 

Mr Shaji P. Joseph, vice-chairman of the Mullaperiyar Samara Samithi, said that the government should inform  the Central Water Commission about the latest situation, including the refusal of Tamil Nadu to lower the water level in the dam. 

 

“The chairman of the apex committee himself is favouring Tamil Nadu. The people of the region are under constant threat, and if the present situation continues,  the  Samara Samithi will start a  new struggle,”  Mr Shaji added. 

 

Idukki district collector Ajith Patil said  that the situation  was being monitored by the district administration and the state disaster management authority.

“The district administration is coordinating with the disaster management committee and we are trying our level best to mitigate the worries of the public,”  Mr Patil added.

 

A special meeting of the Mullaperiyar crisis management committee will be held on Wednesday. 

“I can comment about the arrangements taken only after Wednesday’s meeting.  We have handled similar situations earlier. Now the vigilance authority  has to be reactivated,”  Mr Patil added.