Tribal panchayat to rely on ham radios in Kerala

MUNNAR: The state is all set to make the best use of ham radio facility in the local body elections in one of the remotest areas located beyond the reach of any conventional communication system.

The services of ham radio also known as amateur radio would be engaged for setting up communication network in Idamalakkudi panchayat in Idukki.

The panchayat holds the dual record of being the first all-tribal panchayat as well as the one with the least number of voters -- around 1400 -- in the state.

The Ham Radio Club in Idukki has been entrusted with the task of setting up the communication system in Idamalakkudi panchayat for the elections.

“We convinced the authorities of the role played by ham radios during contingency situations like the floods in Mullapperiyar,’’ Manoj T R, the custodian of the Ham Radio Club in Idukki told the Express.

Ham radio, licensed to operate in HF(high frequency), VHF(very high frequency)and UHF (ultra high frequency) bands, would be set up in all the 11 booths of Idamalakkudi panchayat. All the Hams would communicate with the receiving antenna, known as ‘repeaters’, through the ‘line of sight’ located in Calvari Mount in Idukki. The repeaters would, in turn, convert the signals into transmitting frequency and send them to the equipment in the District Collectorate.

“A team of 20 members of the club have been deputed to operate the radios and our members are going to Idamalakkudi in the first week of October for the trial operations,’’ said Manoj.

''One of our biggest challenges was the setting up of a communication network in these tribal. During the elections, the election officials deputed to Idamalakkudi would be totally cut off from us. So we thought of HAM radio as a solution to this problem,’’ Idukki Collector Ashok Kumar Singh said.

Idamalakkudi panchayat is a conglomerate of hamlets situated almost 30 km from Munnar.

The only transport available is the occasional jeep service operating till Pettimudi, 14 km away. One will have to trek beyond this point through the dense forest to reach the ‘kudis’ or the settlements.