Life is  Standstill for the 150 plus tribal community in the Nettara colony in Thirunelly Village of Wayanad district in Kerala. Cut off from the mainland after their only make-shift wooden bridge washed off in recent floods, this unfortunate tribal village is under the severest threat and local authorities continue to turn a blind eye.

It’s 15 days since the wooden make-shift bridge across Kalindhi river washed away in flood and hope has become bleak for this colony residents.

Nettara colony in Ward- No.1 of Thirunelly Panchayat has been cutoff from main land and local authorities Panchayat, Revenue Department, Police, Fire & Rescue and the Health Dept are yet to even reach out to the villagers.

Old men/women, sick, pregnant women and school going Children in the village are having to walk 4 km in extremely dangerous and slushy  terrain that carries the distant threat of wild life attack, along the banks of flooded Kalindhi river for procuring any basic necessities or  access to the school or hospital.

 It’s 12 years since the concrete bridge was washed away, July 2006 to be exact. Multiple governments have failed the villagers in providing a permanent access. Every year it’s the villagers on their own without the help from local authorities that restores the wooden make-shift bridge before monsoon. This year the heavy rains flooded the Kalindhi river and washed off their only access to main land.

 2 years back, local MLA Shir O R Kelu Master, announced a budget of 10cr for building a new bridge, but there has been NO work done so far at site sighting technical hurdles.

Villagers are appealing to the Local Authorities to restore at least a make-shift bridge across Kalindhi river for their access to main land.