A view of the landslide at Ambalapara that damaged the Vazhachal-Malakkapara road
KOCHI:Malakkapara, a tribal hamlet on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, has remained cut off from the rest of Kerala for the past 12 days as the only road passing through the Vazhachal forest area had been destroyed by landslides triggered by heavy rain. At the Ambalapara hairpin curve, the road is non-existent as a massive landslide ravaged the entire stretch. Food and other essentials, for the past two weeks, are being transported to Malakkapara and the Forest Station at Sholayar through Pollachi in Tamil Nadu.
"Hundreds of trees on the stretch have uprooted and the Forest Department staff are removing the trees on a war-footing. PWD officers are working overtime to restore the road," Sholayar Range Officer Nithinlal told Express.
Timely evacuation saves tribals
On August 15, KSEB officers sent an alert informing the Forest Department that the water level in Poringal dam was rising dangerously and the dam was set to overflow. The Forest officers in Vazhachal immediately shifted the tribals living in settlement colonies on the banks of Chalakudy river, saving many lives."We shifted the tribals in the Anakayam Settlement colony to Mukkampuzha Forest Station on the evening of August 15," Vazhachal DFO S V Vinod told Express.
"Within hours, the entire colony was swept away as the Poringal dam started overflowing. We shifted 291 tribals from Poringalkuthu, Pokalapara, Perumpara, Adichal Thotti, Arayakappu, Vettivitta Kadu and Kappayam colonies to safety on the same day. Due to the timely action, not a single life was lost while eight people died in Chalakudy downstream." The tribal settlement at Vazhachal was also destroyed in the floods. After the floodwater receded, the Forest staff took up the mission to clean the tribal settlements.
On Monday, the staff cleaned the Union Higher Secondary School at Annanadu in Chalakudy as the school is set to open after Onam vacation on Wednesday. "We provided all help, including food and other essentials, to the displaced tribals," said DFO Vinod. However, tribals from the Anakayam settlement colony are now refusing to return to their houses as there have been multiple landslides in their area.
Athirappilly waterfalls closed
The waterfalls at Athirappally and Vazhachal have been closed indefinitely for visitors as the floodwater has damaged the safety railings erected to stop the visitors from approaching the waterfalls.
