Fresh drinking water after 6 years for Irular tribals in Tiruvallur

CHENNAI: It was a day of joy for 23 Irular tribal families as they got a taste of fresh drinking water, after six years in their hamlet near Kadambathur Panchayat in Tiruvallur. All thanks to the newly appointed District Collector, Dr Alby John, the members of the hamlet now have a dedicated water tank with regular water supply through a tanker, as well as a borewell facility, for uninterrupted supply.

Residing in a remote locality, three kilometers away from the main villages, the Irular tribals are housed on an Aathu Poramboke or river lands. M Tamilarasan, Tiruvallur District Secretary of State Tribal association, said the residents depended on a spring for their source of water. "This small puddle-like spring is highly contaminated and is used by animals also for drinking purpose. It also has worms and mosquito problems. They used to filter the water through a cloth and consume it all the while," he said.

Tamilarasan, who is also with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said he had been raising the issue with officials for the past three years. "A few of the members from the community were released from bonded labour while some escaped on their own as well. They also lacked any form of IDs such as Voter's card, Aadhaar, or ration," he added.

The Irulars, who migrated from various parts of the district, live in thatched houses with no roads connecting to their locality. In their hamlet, there are no electricity, education, and health care facilities as well. The NGO and welfare association members have been fighting for the rights of the Irular tribals here for over three years. They said they had also kept multiple petitions and requests in the past, but a solution was not sought.

With the help of the social welfare NGO, Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC), a petition was given to Alby John, the new Collector. Vanessa Peter of IRCDUC, who had been supplying dry ration, also helped in writing the petition, and said that the Collector swiftly came forward to help.

Apart from that, a borewell is being set up there for a 24/7 water supply. The residents were cheerful to catch water in pots, from the new tanks. "We are also looking forward to setting up solar panels for current supply and a tuition for education support," said Vanessa, adding that the community members require proper housing. "Their present makeshift houses are in a bad condition. We had given them tarpaulin sheets, too," she added.

Speaking to Express, the Collector said measures will be taken to ensure better housing and other facilities for the tribals. "Since they live on a riverside land, houses cannot be built on it. But we will identify an appropriate location for them and give them a patta and see-through in building of new houses for them," he said.