Cheruvally Estate, proposed site for airportErumely: The century-old Cheruvally Estate, that has now been identified as the probable site for an airport, was originally a British aerial discovery that revealed itself to the white explorers as an ideal rubber plantation site. The estate initially belonged to Harrisons Plantation and was later taken over by the RPG Goenka Group. It was rechristened BC Cheruvally Estate twelve years ago when the Believer's Church took over from the Goenkas.
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The estate is one of the oldest rubber plantations in Kerala; and had Tamil migrants and locals populating the 2,500 acres; complete with a school, hospital and market in its heydays. With changing times, there has been a considerable drop in the number of laborers as many left seeking greener pastures.
Erumely, a sleepy town which was so far merely a stopover for Sabarimala pilgrims, is expected to gain prominence as the town nearest to the proposed airport. As runways clear for the airport, Erumely too is expected to soar high on the wings of development.
Nearby villages including Mukkada, Charuveli, Mukoottuthara, Kannimala, Kanamala, Chathanthara, Edakadathy, and Umikuppa too are awaiting a take off.
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