VELLORE: The lush green ranges of the Jawadhu Hills welcome visitors travelling to Maruthavallimedu, a remote tribal hamlet atop the Alleri Hills in Anaicut taluk. But as the climb begins, the breathtaking view quickly gives way to danger. The narrow, rugged mud track, marked by sharp bends and protruding rocks, makes every journey uphill or downhill a risky affair.
The hamlet houses around 60 Malayali tribal families who have lived there for many generations. Most residents work as agricultural labourers around Kalangamedu, earning about Rs 150 a day.
During some months, many migrate to coffee plantations in Karnataka and Kerala to earn around Rs 600 a day. For many years, they have demanded that the 5-6 km mud road from Kalangamedu to Maruthavallimedu be levelled to make travel safer as riding a two-wheeler along the uneven path is no easy task. Women here say they often choose to walk long distances instead of risking riding pillion.
Facilities far away
Sixteen-year-old Ramya K dropped out of school because the daily commute became unbearable. Two years ago, she was studying at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Anaicut, over 12 km away. “I would leave home around 6 am and walk over 5 km downhill to catch a bus. By the time I reached school at around 11 am, attendance would have been taken. After school, I could return only by 9 or 10 pm,” she said. The commute left her with swelling in her legs and wheezing problems, forcing her to discontinue.
Poor connectivity has disrupted many children’s education. “It takes us more than an hour or two to reach downhill on foot. If the road is levelled, we can travel safely and reach in about half an hour on a bike,” said D Sivaraj, a teacher at the Non-Residential Special Training Centre (NRSTC), run by Seb’s Projects India, the only school in the village offering education up to class 5. Around 25 children study here, following which they move to hostels in Odugathur or Anaicut to pursue higher studies, as daily travel is impractical.
To get anything necessary, residents travel over six kilometers downhill to Athiyur, the nearest town. Elderly people carry sacks of rice from the PDS shop back uphill on foot.
Getting to ambulance
A few days ago, a woman suffering severe pain had to be carried in a doli (a makeshift sling) for around 5 km before reaching an ambulance waiting downhill, said a resident. The nearest government health facilities for them are in Usoor and Odugathur, around 6 km and over 15 km away, respectively. “Most pregnant women deliver at home with the help of traditional midwives. We go to the hospital only if complications arise,” they added.
Budgeting water
The main source of water here is a muddy open well that provides four to five pots of water per family each day. “So we bathe only once a week,” one of them said. A borewell in the village also yields very little water.
Following a visit here last week, Collector PS Leela Alex told TNIE that while a road via Varadhalampet in another part of the Alleri hillock has already been sanctioned, a proposal is being prepared for the Kalangamedu-Maruthavallimedu stretch after consultation with the forest department.
Alex said new borewells were unlikely to help because of poor groundwater reserves. “We are considering deepening the existing open well. A proposal has also been submitted for constructing another open well, and steps are under way to clean the existing one,” she said.