Gavi, a town deep within the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Pathanamthitta, is finally getting mobile network connectivity. According to authorities, the BSNL has already begun construction of a mobile phone tower within the village, which is expected to become live later next month. The 40-meter-long tower is being built on 0.012 hectares of forest land utilising the union government's universal service requirement budget to bridge the digital divide. The divisional engineer of BSNL, Pathanamthitta, is the land's user agency.
Gavi, a village in Seethathodu panchayat ward three, is presently home to 350 people, the majority of whom are descendants of Sri Lankan Tamil repatriates who were rehabilitated here in the 1970s. According to Anto Antony, MP for Pathanamthitta, the tower would provide network coverage within a five-kilometer radius of Gavi, which also encompasses the Ponnambalamedu district. It will begin with 2G and 3G services and will progress to 4G services within six months of operation. "The project is being initiated after raising the issue of zero connectivity in Gavi several times before the telephone advisory committee," he explained.
Gavi is virtually cut off from the outside world, save from a few of daily KSRTC services, with no cell network coverage. During the lockdown months, when lessons were shifted online, the problem became increasingly severe. "Most children's education suffered because they were unable to attend online classes, and obtaining urgent medical assistance was also impossible due to a network connectivity problem," said a forest official.
The lack of a functional telecommunications network at Gavi also created difficulties for KSEB, police, and Kerala Forest Development Corporation officers stationed here. The village which is a popular tourist site, receives many tourists on a daily basis throughout the year.
