(Clockwise from left) Farmers sow seeds at a Pokkali field at Kalluvechakadu; a traditional fisher at work; and the boat maintained by the civic body for residents.

17 July 2019 01:13 IST

Kalluvechakadu is home to members of one extended family, whose history is bound with that of the island

Standing on the ridge of a Pokkali field, 65-year-old Vamanan Kalluvechakattil shouts instructions to a handful of elderly workers preparing the moist, glistening black earth to sow paddy seeds. They toil under an unusually hot July sun; only their occasional chatter breaking the incredible silence that envelops the region.

The lush green Kalluvechakadu, tucked away on the fringes of the city, and surrounded by serene waters, appears almost like Vembanad’s well-kept secret. To get there, online maps and navigation systems offer no clues. But, affable locals give accurate directions that lead to the banks of the lake, across which the 56-acre isle stands.

The seven Scheduled Caste families residing at Kalluvechakadu are members of one extended family, whose history is intrinsically bound with that of the island. According to Mr. Vamanan, it is a chicken-and-egg bond. He cannot say for certain if the region came to be called after the family name or if the island gave the family its name. But, he states with conviction that his grandfather Karumban was one of the first people brought by Sree Rama Devaswom Temple authorities to the uninhabited landmass years ago as agricultural workers. Karumban’s siblings shifted to nearby regions, but he stayed on, making the sylvan land fit for paddy and prawn cultivation.

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A boat maintained by the Thripunithura municipality and smaller country craft are the only means of transport available for the residents of Kalluvechakadu.

After him, his children took up farming. But over the years, it turned less lucrative and a shortage of hands brought agricultural activities to a halt. “That was about ten years ago,” says Madhavan, Mr. Vamanan’s brother, who gave up farming and works as a security guard in Kochi.

Two years ago, the Thripunithura municipality, under which Kalluvechakadu falls, and a Padasekhara Samithi took the initiative to revive Pokkali farming on the island. “We had to start from scratch,” says Mr. Vamanan. The land left fallow for years had been overgrown with all kinds of vegetation. Help came from agricultural workers in nearby regions. In September that year, their hard work gave them a bumper harvest. Last year, the heavy rains made farming difficult. But the success of 2017 had shown the way. This year, the islanders under the leadership of the Padasekhara Samithi, have once again taken up their spades and hoes. “The rice does not taste the same anymore though,” mutters Thankamma as she sows the seeds. “Nothing compared to what we ate years ago,” adds her fellow-worker Karthyayeni. The workers are given wages and a share of the rice cultivated, says a Padasekhara Samithi member. The island’s youngsters, engaged in other jobs on the mainland, also chip in whenever they are free.

Padasekhara Samithi secretary Peethambaran says despite the weak monsoon, they are confident of reaping success. The traditional cultivation is being revived on the island at a time when it is on its way out on several others. Mr. Vamanan says he is trying to stay positive too, adding that they have overcome many a hurdle in the past. “When my grandfather first came here, this place was unfit for living. Today, Kalluvechakadu has come a long way; it has developed,” he says. There isn’t road connectivity to the island, and the residents reach the mainland by country craft or a boat maintained by the municipality. On the island, there are no properly cut-out roads, only muddy tracks. By development, Mr. Vamanan means power connection in all the seven houses, water supply through three public taps, a few streetlights and rights over small plots of land for a few.

To solve the issue of connectivity, a small hanging bridge will soon come up, says councillor Preethi Vinayachandran. The soil test for the project is underway and other procedures will follow based on its results, she adds. “Though we are used to the boat rides now, the bridge will ensure safety for schoolchildren crossing over to the other side. And that is a huge relief,” says Mr. Vamanan’s niece Soumya.

She says she is of the fourth generation of Kalluvechakadu, but hers is one of the three families on the island that are yet to get title deeds. According to village officer K.C. Ajayakumar, the region, under Thekkumbaghom village limits, classifies as poramboke (land not included in revenue records) land on the banks of the river, affecting the families’ chances of getting title deeds.

A traditional fisher at work at Kalluvechakadu.

As he works on the field, Mr. Vamanan’s cousin Velayudhan, whose family shifted from Kalluvechakadu years ago, says, “We till and farm the land, but it is never ours. That has always been our reality.”