TIRUVALLUR: In all likelihood, the Covid could be this century’s World War, and few have been completely spared of the pandemic’s myriad blows. But strangely, one quaint hamlet nested in the lap of Eastern Ghats on Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border has managed to keep the infection at bay.
Nariankonai, just about 90 minutes drive from the State's capital Chennai, is unknown to many. Even the google maps doesn't recognise this village, which is home to 60 odd families and has a total population of about 500 people.
Villagers here grow their own vegetables, fruits, paddy and depend on abundantly available natural herbs in the nearby forest for medicine. Most villagers also rear cattle and poultry, which are the source for their daily protein. The village has a vehicle that is commonly used to transport their produce to Koyambedu vegetable and fruit market in Chennai.
The New Indian Express visited the scenic Nariankonai hamlet on Friday afternoon after criss-crossing several other small villages en route. Fresh clean air, sweet smell of mangoes, chirping sound of birds, lush green farmland and foggy Allikulli hill range on the backdrop makes the village no less a tourist destination. The prehistoric stone age site - Gudiyam Caves - is about 7 km from the village and there is a trekking trail.
Close to nature, away from virus
Though the State government on Saturday announced complete lockdown till May 31 and experts emphasise on wearing masks even inside homes, none of these regulations apply here. There is no sense of panic or fear of the pandemic and the residents are in no rush to receive vaccination either. 60-year-old Raghavan, a local resident and former president of Placepalayam panchayat, told TNIE that not a single case of Covid has been reported in Nariankonai so far.
“Our quality of life is the primary reason. Though most of us still live in tiny huts with thatched roofs, we ensure our food and air is free of chemicals. We limit our interaction with outsiders. Both men and women toil in the farms and keep themselves healthy,” he added.
The surprises don’t end there. Nariankonai does not have a mobile network. When their farm produce is ready for dispatch, a villager travels four kilometres away and places a call to Assistant Horticulture Officer P Vijayakanth.
The officer then travels 30 km from Tiruvallur district headquarters to Nariankonai with a list of buyers from Koyambedu market and arrange a vehicle pass to transport the produce. “Vijayakanth sir provides us seeds, seedlings and organic manure. He helped us set-up drip irrigation with 100 per cent government subsidy and is now motivating us to get organic farmers certification to get better returns for our produce," said R Venu, who is the most educated person in the village. Venu works as a lecturer in Tiruvallur's GRD College of Education.
Vijayakanth told TNIE that all villagers in Nariankonai are small farmers with land holding of less than two acres. “They use eco-friendly irrigation methods and respect nature. From the Horticulture Department, we provide them all the support they need,” he added.
Now with the complete lockdown coming into effect, the villagers fear that they won’t be able to transport their vegetables to the market, and all the produce might perish. Still, with all their might and nature by their side, they resist the pandemic, which has brought the world to its knees.