Impacts of COVID – 19 in Manimuthar Tea Estate

Impacts of COVID – 19 in Manimuthar Tea Estate

 Saravanan A

In the last week of January 2020 the first positive case of Corona virus was reported from Kerala. By the beginning of March there were 500 positive cases all over the country and the infection was spreading rapidly. As we all know the Government of India (GOI) announced Janatha curfew for 14 hours i.e., from 7 am to 9 pm on 22^nd March.  On this day Police and Paramilitary forces enforced a lockdown and even imposed  section 144, where public are not allowed to step outside their homes. Well it was only a beginning!

GOI announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown on 24^th March to break the chain of infection. This lockdown was much more stringent than the earlier curfew where all non-essential government and private enterprises were shut down. More importantly, the road, rail and airway transportation were stopped and the country came to a standstill  

Manimutharu tea estate which belongs to the Bombay Burma Tea Company(BBTC) is located in the high mountains of Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR). During the lockdown period the forest check post stopped movement into the sanctuary. Some estate workers came down before the lockdown but could not go back. if they want to go to the estate they were advised to submit a letter from the Estate manager or obtain a Corona free certificate from the hospital before they were allowed. These restrictions completely stopped the movement of estate workers.

Government of Tamil Nadu (TN) provides 20 kg rice per family for the March month along with sugar, dhal and oil. They also financially supported the workers with Rs. 1000 per family per month. But in April they supported the estate workers with only ration. The Govt sent a health checkup team with doctors from Vairavikulam to the estate and sprayed disinfectant at in Nalmukh, Oothu, Manjolai and Kakachi settlements. 

 

While the state and country continues to be under lockdown at the time of writing this, the estate has started to function. A complete lockdown was only for 14 days from 25^th March to April 7^th at the state The estate authorities provided 5 kg rice per person with other necessary commodities such as dhal, sugar and oil and also arranged vehicles to Kallidaikurchi, Ambasamudram and nearby towns, to get vegetables and others commodities once in 10 days during the lockown. From April 8^th estate authorities resumed their regular activities like leaf collections but the working hours was reduced by 2h and everbody was asked to go home by 2 pm instaed of the normal 4pm. From May 4^th the estate has started working as normaly.

Our ACCC team visited the estate during this lockdown to conduct phenology research on May 5^th. We observed estate activities was completely normal. They seemed very happy and safe as their needs were taken care by the authorities. Some of them didn’t feel the heat from lockdown unlike many of us in the rest of the country and the world.

Picture Credits for all the pictures Selva Kumar, Oothu.