Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

Transformation of the pristine parambas into monoculture gardens and house-sites and
the disappearance of the elevated laterite zones have resulted in another phenomenon,
visible in the rainy season. Much of the walking was done during the months of May and
June, even as the Monsoon was under way, and it was not difficult to observe this. The
rain water falling in the elevated regions were slashing down the rocky slopes in large
streams and were collecting in the challis. But water reservoirs or chenas in the elevated
regions had been filled up to construct houses, and buildings were coming up in many of
the challis. A typical example is the Devithayal area in Thenhippalam Panchayat which
consists of several madus (nedungottunmadu, Chalimadu, Koyisserimadu, and
Thattasserimadu), and several challis (malakkachali, kadayamkulam Challi and
Jnarachalli). The elevated region has three kulams (cholakkulam, Thattasserikkulam and
Devithayal kulam). One kulam in Thattasseri has been filled up. The challis where water
used to collect are being split up and sold by their owners, as the owners are no longer
cultivating the area. Fences, often made of stone were coming up around several plots
that were newly bought, and as a result, there was no chance for the water coming down
in large streams to be deposited in the challis. Sometimes, water gets collected in mud
pits (mankuzhis) in the challis, and the surplus water so collected make any cultivation
impossible. Otherwise, water is not stored anywhere at all, and as the trees and other
vegetation in the madus and parambas are being cut down to make way for monoculture
gardens, or simply to meet the demand for timber, there is no facility for the retention of
water in the elevated areas. As a result, the entire water in the elevated regions and
slopes flows through meandering ways, around various barriers to the low- lying grain
fields where, large and deep pools are created, where water is retained for several months
, and sometimes for the whole year. The low-lying regions have a number of large challis,
Kappuchali between Nannambra and Tirurangadi, and Chernur chali between
Thenhippalam and Munniyur, and Valiyachali or Velimukkuchali in Velimukku are best
examples. The challis so formed are neither useful as water reservoirs nor used for