OVERVIEW

The district is famous for its panoramic view of natural beauty which ranges from backwaters to forests and paddy fields to rubber plantations. The district is blessed with rich heritage of temples, churches, mosques and festivals. Pathanamthitta is also recognized for its dams, rivers and tourist attractions like Gavi Forest Haven and Konni Elephant Cage. Perunthenaruvi water falls www.keralatourism.org/destination/des... many other similar water falls give the district a place of its own in the scenic beauty of Kerala. Many Hydro Electrical Projects are in the district. Pathanamthitta has been the cradle for many great personalities in Art, Literature, Films, Politics and Civil Service. The people of this district are spread across the world. Many people of Pathanamthitta are working in African countries. Many worked in Far East countries long before independence. The people worked abroad have brought seeds of fruits and plants of these countries and the district is now famous for Rambutan which grows largely in the Far East.

The climate is generally moderate, the temperature rising from 20oc to 39oc . The south west monsoon from June to September and the North West monsoon from October to November provide fairly good rains to the district. The south west monsoon is usually very heavy and about 75% of the annual rainfall is received during this season. From December to February is dry season and hot season from March to May. In spite of these natural advantages, the district lacks development basically in the field of employment generation, transportation, trade, agricultural marketing and services. Regardless of its varied natural resources, food crops and vegetables have to come from outside to cater the needs of the people of Pathanamthitta. Further it lacks good educational institutions and medical facilities which prompt the children to look for other districts or even outside the state for education. Due to environmental changes strange diseases and epidemics are spreading in our district. Unscientific exploitation of our rivers and forest resources has put the district in a very strange situation. The district of rivers craves for water as soon as the rain stops. Accumulated wastes and lack of facilities for waste disposal is one of the major problems Pathanamthitta faces.

A good number of people of Pathanamthitta is working overseas especially in the Middle East. There is no job security or that much attraction for Gulf jobs now as it had once. The people working in Gulf are always under a cloud of going back due to various factors. Many people are engaged in average jobs which seldom make it possible for them to have any savings. The increased cost of living abroad and at home makes their lives literally at risk. Overseas workers contribute the major chunk to the state’s exchequer but there was no recognition for them from the state or authorities. The interest rates at the bank are too low for them to have any returns for their earnings if any. There is no concrete rehabilitation programme or any fruitful social security measures for the returnees. Neither they have no voting rights nor did their name include in the ration cards. The overseas workers face lot of mental agony in view of family dislocations, children’s educations and unclear future.

Adding to the turmoil we see day by day the Indian authorities are squeezing the Gulf Malayalees in varied counts. There is no control over the air fare which results in the Gulf Malayalees paying a very higher ticket cost all times. Day by day new Air Port Tariffs are being implemented and Gulf Malayalees are always at the receiving end. Being away from home Gulf Malayalees lose their identity in India which put them in a nowhere status end of the day. Their children grow without knowing our traditions and values. They find it difficult to cope up with their lives once returned to India for higher studies or on termination of their jobs. They lose their erstwhile local contacts due to working overseas for a long period which literally put them in serious trouble when physical and psychological support are required on their return.

In view of these circumstances PANORAMA envisages becoming as a platform for all expatriate Malayalees of Pathanamthitta District as a destiny for their needs and supports while both at abroad and in India.