When Kerala faced its worst flood in a century, the tribal population was first in the firing line. The hills of Wayanad, Thrissur, and Idukki, where dams were opened for the first time in years, are where Adivasi communities are concentrated in the state. Outlook decided to visit some of these colonies after obtaining clear leads from activist sources that tribals were still stranded even as late as August 25, and that neither relief nor media attention was reaching them.