Gavi- a plantation that accommodates Indian origin Tamils from Srilanka.

KFDC was established in 1975 as a joint venture between the state and central governments with the intention of producing more raw materials from forest lands. In the early 1980s, the central government designated specific camps—known as special camps—for Indian-origin Tamil refugees who had a background of violent resistance against the regime in Sri Lanka. The central government initially refrained from accommodating Tamil refugees outside Tamil Nadu due to the language barrier. However, this policy was later changed, and some refugees were rehabilitated in Malkangiri in Odisha, Sullia in Karnataka, and Kolathupuzha and Gavi in Kerala. A rehabilitation plantation was established in Kolathupuzha in the Kollam district of Kerala, and around 2,000 refugees were sent to Gavi, where KFDC had started coffee and cardamom plantations. Over the years, the central government revised its policies, ultimately discontinuing the renewal of plantations in Gavi, which is located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. These policy changes created a bottleneck for the maintenance and repair of quarters. Additionally, the government is promoting the evacuation of people from Gavi, anticipating the concept of a manless forest. The workers in Gavi were settled in five areas: Gavi, Kochupampa, Meenar, 8 Set, and 4 Set. Current statistics show that 4 Set is completely abandoned, only three families remain in 8 Set, and a considerable number of families have moved out of Gavi, Meenar, and Kochupampa.






Forest Guard and other workers/ KFDC ecotourism projects.






