Tea holds hills together

ONE year after the devastating landslides that claimed lives and homes in Chooralmala and Mundakkai, the hills remain quiet — broken only by the rustle of tea leaves and the steady footsteps of estate workers. The three plantations in the region — once symbols of calm routine — are slowly rising from the ruins.

- LAKSHMI ATHIRA @Chooralmala

At the heart of this quiet resurgence and resilience is Harrisons Malayalam Ltd, which spans 515 hectares and continues to be a lifeline for the community. For many, this is more than just a plantation. It's survival.

"We lost 43 of our co-workers that day. Counting their family members, the number will climb to 98. Some were family. Some were like family," says Sidharaj, a veteran plucker who has worked at the estate for over 50 years. "I thought I'd never return to these slopes. But this work feeds my family. I came back for them."

The landslide of July 30, 2024, killed 290 people across the region, including dozens of Harrison's workers. The trauma ran so deep that 73 others requested transfers, unable to return to the soil where they had worked and laughed with friends who would never come back now.

"Some of them lost family. Others lost friends. Many couldn't bear the sight of this place where we once lived together happily," says Sidharaj.