Destruction by water

During August’s Kerala floods, more than 483 people died, tens of thousands were evacuated and more than 10,000km of roads were destroyed. Crores of rupees in property were destroyed, and the loss of income due to tourist cancellations was unfathomable. Given the devastation to the land, how did the Neelakurinji stand a chance? The flowers need at least 10 days of continuous sunshine to bloom, and they had yet to flower when the incessant rainfall plagued the state.

“Nobody expected this,” Chawda said. “The main airport of the state was closed for several days. For one whole month, we had no tourists at all. That has never happened in all the time I’ve lived here. In the beginning of September, the sun came out again, the Neelakurinji finally bloomed... but there was no-one to see them.”

Eravikulam National Park, a 97-sq-km conservation area for the region’s flora and fauna, was supposed to be the main draw for tourists seeking the Neelakurinji. However, many of the shrubs here were washed away by rain, and there hadn’t been enough sunshine for the remaining flowers to bloom. Those wishing to view the Neelakurinji had to go to other destinations at higher elevations, such as Top Station and Vattavada in Kerala, and Kolukkumalai in the bordering state of Tamil Nadu.