TVM’s tribal areas battle water scarcity amidst soaring temperatures

Thiruvananthapuram: Situated in the valley of  Agasthyarkoodam, the Kani tribal settlement in Chenampara near Kottur, Thiruvananthapuram is considered one of the coolest spots in Thiruvananthapuram. Even this region isn't spared from the scorching heat during this brutal summer.

"Children are falling sick due to extreme heat and we do not even have enough water to bathe. We cannot sleep outside our houses to beat the heat due to threats from wild animals," Raju, a resident of the tribal settlement, told PTI.

There are nearly 28 tribal settlements in Kuttichal and Kottur.  The residents are grappling with severe water shortage and extreme heat . "We have never experienced such heat. Every year, we will have higher temperatures during these months, but not this extreme. Power failures are very common here, and we just cannot sleep at night due to the heat," Parippu, an elderly woman resident in the area, said.
She said the residents in the area collect drinking water using rubber hoses from water resources further deep inside the jungle. "When the wild animals destroy that, we do not have an alternative source for drinking water," Surendran Kani, another resident, said.

Even the animals are feeling the heat and are camping near the water holes inside the forest, the residents say, making it difficult for them to go and take a bath in these areas.

The India Meteorological Department warned that Thiruvananthapuram's maximum temperatures are expected to reach around 37°C during  April 30 to May 4.

(With PTI Inputs)