Social,
Environmental & Economic Sustainability
Our analysis of the rank of the district
Backwardness : 400
Sex Ratio Rank : 491
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 254 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 16 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Brief About Idukki District
History and Heritage
The district was formed on January 26, 1972 carving out of Devikulam,
Peerumedu and Udumbanchola taluks from Kottayam district and Thodupuzha
taluk from Ernakulam district. It extends by 115 kms. from south
to north and 67 kms. From east to west. The area of the district
is 5019 Sq. kms. For revenue administration the district is sub
divided into four taluks viz., Devikulam, Peermade, Udumbanchola
and Thodupuzha. For purposes of developmental activities it is
divided into eight blocks Arudai, Devikulam, Elamdesom, Idukki,
Kattappana, Adimali, Nedumkandom and Thodupuzha. The district
is bounded by Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts on the south,
Thrissur and Coimbatore districts on the north, Madurai, Ramanad
and Thirunelveli districts on the east and Ernakulam and Kottayam
districts on the west,
Though the district cannot boast of a history of the rise and
fall of a few dynasties, it played a significant role in the spiritual
development of the country, especially the south. The Ramayana
gives a graphic description of the flora of the Pamba Valley.
It is believed that the name Sabarimala derived from Sabari Ashram
which was located at Sabari Peedom near Sabari Mala, one of the
famous Pilgrim centres. The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala
is supposed to be the place where a great Jain or Buddhist monk
attained Nirvana. (Now Sabarimala is in Pathanamthitta district).
The archaeological evidence of the Mangaladevi Temple 15 kms.
from Thekkadi in the dense forest bespeaks of an equally shrouded
antiquity. May be, with its undulating hills and valleys and the
perennial rivers the district formed a recluse for the spiritual
seekers of ancient India.
But the history of the present population of the district is
very recent. It is a history of colonisation braving inclement
weather, wild animals and epidemics. It is also a history of the
exploitation of labour and labour struggles. Settling in the district
began in all seriousness during the Ministry of Sri T.K.Narayana
Pillai, as a sequence to the grow-more-food campaign in the State.
These migrants who constituted a few planters and a cross section
of the people became the nucleus of the present population. In
the days of Shri Pattom Thanu Pillai it became a systematic colonisation.
Kallar Pattom colony in Udumbanchola taluk bears the imprint of
his name. That the earliest human habitation of the district started
from Tamil Nadu in the first two decades of the present century
can be gauged from the story that while Maharaja Sri Mulam was
personally supervising the construction of the Dam on Mullaperiyar
river he felt thirsty and a shepherd called Ankur Rautar gave
him milk hot from the udder of the sheep. The delighted Maharaja
gave him title over extensive forest land which his descendants
sold to land owners in Tamil Nadu and with the help of cheap labour
they were converted into Cardamom or Tea Plantations. The area
around Munnar developed from the time when the British made it
their summer resort. Here too the immediate accessible population
was from Tamil Nadu and Munnar became a Tamil pocket in Kerala.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Flora and Fauna
The district has at present about 260907 ha. forest
area. However, the sylvan wealth of the district and the animal
life are fast disintegrating due to deforestation, indiscriminate
felling of trees, encroachment and poaching. All kinds of wild
animals with the exception of lions abound in the forests of Idukki.
The grasslands of Peermade are a haven of carnivores like the
tiger and the leopard. This is chiefly so, as they are a natural
upon. Bison, wildbear, languor and monkeys are a few other common
denizens of the jungle. The Thar (striped goat) seen in Marayur
region and Rajamala is found nowhere else in the world. The forest
glades of Idukki resound in day time with the sweet voices of
birds. They include the small wild parrots, mynas, red horned
sparrows and a host of other nondescript species.
The valuable trees growing in the forests are teak, rosewood,
deodars, sandal etc. The Forest Department has reared large Eucalyptus
Plantations in the hilly tracts.
People
The population of the district, according to 2001 census,
is 1,128,605. The density of population is 252 per sq. km.
Most of the Harijans work as agricultural labourers in the tea
and cardamom estates. Ayyappancoil and Pampadumpara of Udumbanchola
taluk, Kumali of Peermade taluk, Kuttampuzha, Mannamkandam and
Marayur of Devikulam taluk, Vannappuram, Vazhathope and Velliyamattom
of Thodupuzha taluk are the concentrations of Harijans. Mannans,
Mala Arayans, Urali, Muthuvans, Hill Pulaya, Paliyan and Ulladan
are the different groups of tribals in the district. All these
tribes are not aborigins. The Muthuvans of Marayoor, Kanthaloor
and Vattavada panchayats speak Tamil dialects. Their tribal legends
show that they were the loyal servants of a section of the royal
dynasty of Madurai and they carried the idols of Madurai Meenakshi
for the fleeing royal members on their backs which are known in
Tamil as 'Muthuku'. Thrown out from power at Madurai the surviving
members of the Madurai Royal family established the Poonjar dynasty
in Kerala, and the servants who came with them with the idols
on heir backs settled in the forests near Tamil Nadu, and are
now known as Muthuvans. They are agriculturists. The Mala Arayans
of Vannappuram, Velliyamattom, Udumbannoor and Arankulam panchayats
are also agriculturists. They look like the plains-dwellers, and
believe that they were a section of the Arayans of the coastal
belt of Kerala who migrated to the forest and came to be known
as Mala Arayans.
Christians constitute the majority among the population of the
district. They settled in the High Ranges in the course of their
search for pastures anew. Behind the agricultural development
of Idukki there is the untold hardship of this hard working people
in the early days of settlement. Though there are many rich estate
owners among them, the majority are middle class farmers earning
their livelihood through their struggle against soil and climate.
Muslims are confined to certain pockets of the district. The
municipality of Thodupuzha has a large Muslim population. They
are mostly small traders and business men. In Munnar there are
a few rich Muslims engaged in flourishing business. The Muslims
of Kumily hailed from Tamil Nadu. Some of them have cardamoms
estates of their own and the others are engaged in trade. In Peermade
there is a large number of Muslim families. The name "Peermade"
derived from the name of a Muslim Saint "Pir Mohammed".
Nairs form a small portion of the population of Idukki. The eastern
part of Thodupuzha has a considerable Nair population. They are
mostly engaged in agriculture.
In Udumbanchola taluk Ezhava are numerically second to the Christians.
Most of them are small farmers. In Thodupuzha and Peermade taluks
too their numerical strength is comparatively high.
Devikulam and Peermade taluks a large concentration of Tamilians
who are mainly labourers in tea and cardamom estates. This population
is slightly fluctuating in nature as they are having their permanent
settlements in Tamil Nadu. Most of the cardamom estates are owned
by Tamilians living in Cumbum, Gudalur and other towns in the
adjoining Madurai district.
Topography and Climate
Sprawling over an area of 5,061 sq. kms. the district
is marked by undulating hills and valleys. The high ranges vary
in altitude from 2500 ft. above mean sea level in Kulamavu to
more than 5,000 ft. above M.S.L. in Munnar. The highest peak in
Kerala, Anamudi is in the district. It is 8,841 ft. high. The
different levels of elevation promote the growth of diverse flora.
Except a bit of midland region in the western portions of Thodupuzha
taluk all the remaining areas consisting of Devikulam, Peermade
and Udumbanchola taluks and the eastern portion of the Thodupuzha
taluk are entirely highland region. Granite hills touching the
skies and being skirted round with thick rain-fed sylvan forest
render a terrific charm to the district. There are eleven peaks
in Idukki which exceed a height of 6000 ft. above M.S.L. The highland
region is having a comparatively cold climate. In peaks above
an elevation of 2400 metres the temperature at times falls down
to near freezing point in the writer. Occurrence of mist is usual
in the highland region lying over an elevation of 1300 metres
above M.S.L.
The annual rainfall in the district varies from 250 to 425 cms.
But, it is recorded that the annual rainfall had gone upto 700
CMS in certain years. The eastern and northeastern regions of
the district get very low rainfall in contrast to other areas.
This may go up to 150 CMS at Marayur, Kanthalloor, Vattavada and
Thalayar regions. Marayur and Kanthalloor are virtually rain shadow
areas, lying in the eastern side of the Western Ghats.
