14 Years and Counting: Arippa Families Await Electricity as Land Dispute Lingers
For over 14 years, more than 250 families in Arippa, a settlement in the Kulathupuzha forest range in Kerala's Kollam district, have lived without electricity. The residents, who have been part of a long-running land struggle, finally received title deeds earlier this year, but an administrative dispute between the Forest and Revenue departments has left them in a state of limbo, unable to apply for power or water connections.
Arippa is situated in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, where the forest meets a fragile cluster of hutments made of blue tarpaulin on contested land. The families have been fighting for land rights since 2012, with the Adivasi Dalit Munnetta Samithi (ADMS) leading the movement. In April-May this year, just before the state assembly elections, the Revenue Department distributed land title deeds to the residents. However, the department allegedly did so without completing the required formalities, including securing clearance from the Forest Department.
As a result, the villagers have not been able to obtain possession certificates from the village office. An earlier objection from the Forest Department has been cited as the reason for the delay. This dispute has effectively prevented any utility services, including electricity, from being extended to the settlement, despite the fact that a high-tension transmission line runs directly above the area.
The lack of electricity has forced residents to rely on diesel-powered lanterns for their basic lighting needs. Daily life is marked by significant hardship. For instance, Nisha, a resident who used to commute 60 kilometres every day to work as security staff at a private firm in Thiruvananthapuram's Technopark, has been staying at the settlement for the past four months. She fears that her newly obtained title deed might be cancelled if she is found absent during a possible inspection by officials. Many young residents, like Nisha, depend on a nearby grocery store to charge their mobile phones, paying ₹5 to 10 each time.
Speaking on the issue, Minister for Forests and Wildlife Shibu Baby John said that the Forest Department would no longer stake any claim on the assigned land. "An in-principle agreement has been reached within the government to protect the interests of the landless families," he told reporters. The minister attributed the dispute to procedural lapses in the land distribution drive carried out by the previous administration in the run-up to the elections. "The crisis stems from allotment procedures carried out without completing the requisite statutory formalities. The present government is committed to resolving the issue amicably," he added.
Outlining a specific timeline, the minister assured that the entire issue would be resolved within six months. He also said he would visit Arippa in the coming days to interact with residents, assess the ground situation, and hear their grievances directly before taking corrective measures.
Residents and activists have expressed cautious hope following a recent meeting between the officials of the Forest and Revenue departments. Sreeraman Koyyon, state president of the ADMS, said the ministerial intervention was a positive step. He stressed that the families have waited long enough and need immediate action to get electricity and other basic amenities.
Meanwhile, the stark contrast remains: while the Edamon-Kochi high-tension electricity transmission line passes through the Kulathupuzha forest range, the homes directly beneath it continue to be shrouded in darkness. For the residents of Arippa, the wait for a basic essential like electricity is a daily reminder of their exclusion from mainstream civic life.
