Munroe Island: A sinking land that gets Instagram likes but is forgotten in reality

In 1986 the island first began to sink with the construction of Thenmala Dam and now the islands that were once spread over 1, 340 square kilometres have reduced to 352 square kilometres

Europe is reeling under a sweltering heat wave and there have been calls for declaring climate emergency all across the globe. The voices supporting this move are strong from India too with many stating that the fight against climate change should be intensified and it can no longer remain a mere rhetoric. But it is quite ironical that while promoting climate action at the global level, we Indians have turned a blind eye to what is happening in our own country's backyard. A case in point is that of Munroe Island, also known as Munroe Thuruthu, in Kerala.

Located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, in Kollam district, this cluster of eight islands have become familiar to many as it regularly gets featured in the social media posts of travel enthusiasts. It is famous for its canal boat rides, the breath-taking scenery of its naturally formed mangroves, short bridges and perfectly symbolises Kerala being God's own country. The island is named after colonel John Munroe, a popular administrator of the erstwhile Travancore state who was lauded for his efforts in reclaiming the land in the delta. The serenity of the place is the primary attraction for tourists who come from far and wide, most often in the hope of getting that perfect dreamy picture for their Instagram page.

However, when one goes a little farther into the island and starts exploring the narrow canal ways, the realisation almost dawns upon immediately that it is not the tranquility but an eerie silence that has engulfed the place. The rose-tinted glasses fall off soon and what becomes apparent are the houses or rather what remains of those structures. The area does not have a single house that is not dilapidated. The walls are damp and there is no sign of life in many. There are coconut trees everywhere indicating there used to be huge coconut farms in the area. Now the trees are rotting and the island has a peculiar stench which feels out of place for an area that outwardly looked so beautiful. The residents of the place have a resigned look on their faces perhaps indicating that they have accepted their helplessness to fight the vagaries of nature.

Binu Karunakaran, former panchayat president of Munroe Island said, "The houses in this area are sinking every year. Many people are not even able to take their loved ones to the hospitals. And it is not just the lives that are getting affected but livelihoods too. The coconut farms have been destroyed and now due to the growth of algae, there is less fish in the area and almost all the residents have been rendered jobless. Their only source of income is the government's employment guarantee scheme and even that is subject to the high tides affecting this area."

The revelations may sound shocking but for people in Munore Island, it is a reality that they have been trying to grapple with for the past many years. It was in the year 1986 that the island first began to sink with the construction of Thenmala Dam on the Kallada river due to the silt accumulation coming down by more than 95 per cent. It destroyed the delicate soil balance and in the next 15 years, the ground level went down by over one metre, partly submerging 10 of the 13 wards. The 2004 tsunami worsened the situation when it washed away most of the area's mangroves which resulted in frequent high tides. Coupled with climate change and the rising sea levels, floods have become a regular phenomenon submerging each and every house in the region. The islands which were spread over 1, 340 square kilometres have become reduced to a measly 352 square kilometres.

The true ghastliness of the situation came to light only during the 2018 floods when the residents lost everything. Even their hopes for a better future were destroyed right before their eyes when the Ph level of the water in the area changed post the floods and it became acidic. This meant that a region that was once famous for its coconut farms and coir-making units as well as prawn farming had to shut down its village economy completely. What is even more unfortunate is that though the area is surrounded by water, none of its residents have access to clean drinking water and they are always faced with drainage problems. As many as 200 families have left the island in the past five years. Now it has only a population of about 9000 and most of the people have stayed back because they have already invested their lives' savings into their houses and have nowhere else to go.

One would think that in a dire situation like this, children would hold out hope for a better future. But with students and teachers having to wade through water daily to reach the school, drop-out rates remain high. Bhaskar (name changed), a chirpy young man full of life who takes the tourists around on a rented boat, lamented how the dreams of many like him will remain unfulfilled as they are simply not in a position to complete their education. While he sounded upbeat about the tourism industry picking pace in the last ten years, the sad reality should not escape anybody advocating for the cause of climate change that one of the biggest tragedies of this nation is being openly and blatantly commercialised in the name of tourism.

All throughout, there has been complete apathy from the part of state and central governments to address the plight of Munroe Island in an earnest matter. Every time, the efforts are reduced to a few policy announcements which are quickly forgotten. The state government had made many promises to study the situation and even launched an amphibious housing scheme immediately after the 2018 deluge. But the 9000 odd residents of the island are still waiting for rehabilitation and a restoration of their livelihoods. Perhaps the next time when we Indians decide to go on a social media rant about what is happening in other nations, it is best to stop and look at our own surroundings. Any action will have to start from home for it to be meaningful and impactful. Let us not forget that is important to keep ourselves afloat before we set out to save the world from sinking.

(With inputs from Abhilash Haritham)

Lekshmi Parameswaran is a researcher and writer based in New Delhi. Her twitter profile is @lekshmip.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.