Thiruvananthapuram: For decades, voting day in the remote Puravimala region of Amboori panchayat meant one thing: A risky journey by country boat across the Karippar River, part of the Neyyar Reservoir. This election, nearly 2,600 voters from around 1,000 tribal families will simply walk, or ride, across a bridge to reach their polling booths, marking a historic shift in their electoral experience.The Kumbichalkadavu bridge, opened a month ago, has ended eight decades of dependence on vallams, traditional country boats, used by residents of the Thodumala and Chakkapara wards. Spread across 11 settlements including Karikkuzhi, Chakkappara, Sankumkonam and Kunnathumala, these communities had little choice but to cross the reservoir by boat. Although a longer road route existed, the 20-minute boat ride remained the most practical way to access polling stations in Mayam and Amboori.Chandran Kani, Oorumooppan—tribal settlement head—of Karikkuzhi, recalls the anxiety that once accompanied every voting day. “The boat would make around 15 trips in a single day. When the wind turned rough, services were cancelled and we waited for hours on the shore,” he says. The hardship began after the commissioning of the Neyyar dam, when rising waters submerged large parts of the region and created the reservoir that cut communities off. “Now we can go to vote with a sense of celebration,” he adds.For Shaju J, the transition has been deeply personal. A boatman for 28 years, the 54-year-old was once solely responsible for ferrying residents across the reservoir. Today, he serves as the security guard of the new bridge that made his old role redundant. “People depended entirely on that boat and it was a tough responsibility,” he says. “Now I have been given a new role and I am happy.”For voters, polling days were exercises in endurance. Boats would not depart until enough passengers had gathered. Rough weather, particularly during monsoon, frequently forced the elderly and infirm to turn back without voting. “If the water was rough or boats were delayed, many people would return home without casting their vote,” recalls Shibu Chakkapara, a former panchayat member.Women found the ordeal particularly taxing. “We would leave early, sometimes with young children and wait near the shore,” says Sindhu Vidyadharan of Thodumala. “Crossing during heavy rain or strong winds was frightening. Now, we can reach the polling booth safely. It has made a big difference.”The bridge’s significance extends beyond elections. For Puravimala, tucked along the forested fringes of the Western Ghats near the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border, isolated despite lying within the capital district, it promises improved access to healthcare, schools, and markets, quietly transforming everyday life for communities that waited far too long.
