After seven decades of independence, 80 families in a remote hamlet in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) continue to languish in darkness, with power supply yet to reach them. The dim light of kerosene lamps helps them cook, but they stay indoors after 7 p.m., fearing wild animal attacks.
Malliamman Durgham, a secluded village in the Kadambur Hills under Guthiyalathur panchayat of Sathyamangalam Panchayat Union, can only be reached by a pickup van after traversing a steep nine k.m. gradient from the Kadambur bus stand. A 14th-century hero stone in the hamlet reveals the region was once part of the Vijayanagara Empire, with people living there for many generations. However, the lack of a motorable road, healthcare facilities, electricity and reliable sources of income has caused many families to leave. While there were 159 families in the hamlet in 2011, less than 80 families live there now. The hamlet has 10 brick houses while the others are made of reed thatch, roof tile and clay.
The hamlet first received an electricity connection in 1972, which powered only three street lights and did not reach individual homes. In 1974, a forest fire destroyed the wooden poles that carried power lines through the forest, leaving the village without power ever since. In 2018, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited provided 123 automatic solar lighting systems to households, which allowed residents to light two bulbs. However, most of the batteries and bulbs have malfunctioned over the past three years, and the residents now depend solely on kerosene lanterns.
A house with solar lighting system at Malliamman Durgham hamlet in Kadambur hills in Erode district in Tamil Nadu. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A resident C. Kaliappan said that a litre of kerosene is provided at the ration shop once every four months, but is insufficient. “In some houses, the battery can light a bulb for just one hour. Before sunset, the women have to cook food,” he said. The resident said wild boars raid their ragi crops at night, and without electricity, they are helpless in driving the animals away.
Residents rely on the solar system installed in the Panchayat Union Middle School in the hamlet for recharging their mobile phones, while the priceless household appliances they received from the government remain largely useless. Residents belong to the Malayali Gounder community and have been fighting for recognition as a Scheduled Tribes. M.K. Subramani, 43, the first graduate in the hamlet, was unable to secure a government job and has since moved to Kadambur, where he runs a stationery store. He said the absence of roads and electricity is driving people away from the hamlet. In July 2024, Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara visited the hamlet to assess the feasibility of laying a road and providing electricity.
When contacted, a senior Tangedco engineer at Gobichettipalayam Electricity Distribution Circle, told The Hindu that they had applied for forest clearance and had received a response seeking clarification on two queries. The official said once permission is obtained, a report will be submitted to the State government for approval, after which the process of providing power connections will begin. The whole process may take around three to six months,” he said.
Published - November 11, 2024 06:06 pm IST
