the larger project to accelerate the production of 'cash crops'. In the later decades, the entire high range, as Father Vadakkan mentioned in his biography Ente Kuthippum Kitaappum became the backbone of the Kerala Economy. This village is famous for its high quality black pepper. Black pepper and cardamon from this area had been considered as special quality in the Mattancherry spice market in Cochin. But the leaf disease of black pepper (Kurumulku valli) in the late 1980s onwards was a major backlash to the agrarian change of Mannathara. Moreover, the import of black pepper from other parts of the world to Cochin port and mixing of the imported goods with high-quality pepper from idukki affected the demand of high range pepper in the international market. In the 1990s as elsewhere in India, Neo-liberal policies of the government affected Mannathara's agro-economy as well. The rollback of the Government of Indian and the State government from the welfare policies for peasants and elimination of subsidy for fertilizers increased the risk of investment. The risk of investment was high in the case of ginger, plantain, and areca nut cultivation. The heavy fluctuations in the climate and various crop diseases increased the burden of the peasants. Cultivation of cassava (tapioca) and rice and milk products were the ways to meet their ends. Milma (APCOS) corporation of the Kerala State Government was a helping hand to the peasants. Nursing as a profession with employment chances attracted the lower-middle-class peasant families. The agrarian crisis of compelled young women to prefer nursing as a profession to support the family. Trained nurses, mostly from Syrian Christian and ezhava families migrated to middle eastern countries, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai. Now there are a few families has its members in America and England. Daughters of Chennamkulam Pappachan and the son of Paulose Eenthumkal are in the USA. Although most of the lower-middle-class family remain unchanged in their economic condition, some of the families enjoy economic mobility, Geography Until the beginning of the 21st century, a long strip of rice field was the landmark and the main attraction of Mannathara. The Swampy land between two hills formed wetland paddy field with a two-meter wide and one and a half meter deep stream called the Mannathara thodu. The Mannathra thodu flowing in the middle of the rice field is the lifeline of Mannathara, which eventually joined the Periyar river. Now the decline