IDUKKI: The remains of a submerged village with several buildings, a church, and homes were revealed on the catchment area of the Idukki Dam near Kulamavu for the first time in five decades after the dam water levels plummeted.
As many as 200 truckloads of rocks---the remains of the once bustling market---can now be seen strewn near the Kulamavu Dam which is also a part of the Idukki Dam’s reservoir.
With the monsoon getting a poor start this year, the water level of the Idukki dam has come down to 14.44% of its total capacity and several mud ramps hitherto lying underwater have now started showing up.
Local residents said it is for the first time they are witnessing these many remains of the erstwhile village though some portions used to pop up as the water level recedes during the peak of the summer.
“Vairamani was a village spread over 500 hectares known for fertile paddy fields. It acted as a stopover for those travelling from Thodupuzha to Kattappana through Kulamavu forest,” said Jomon Kuriakose whose ancestors were translocated from Vairamani to Kulamavu.
“There were nearly 2,000 families who were shifted from Vairmani to the Kulamavu as a part of the Idukki Dam project nearly 50 years ago. The remains of the church which was later shifted to the Kulamavu area can also be seen in the dam reservoir,” he said.
He said several members of his family were evicted from Vairamani. Jomon and his relatives who have permits for fishing in the dam reservoir said that on the boat it takes one hour from Kulamavu to reach the area where the remains of the village are presently seen.
“The senior citizens in Kulamavu who has memories of the submerged village say that Vairmani was one of the major centers of the Idukki district,” Jomon said.
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