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No street lamps, no streets
April 10, 2008
Pichandi tells us how these tribal families saved the forests in 1914, when they shifted from their abode in hilly areas and chose to settle down here. The British, who had converted the entire area into tea plantations, left this particular stretch of forest intact, as they did not want to disturb the settlements here.
Incidentally, though the numerous tea estates located inside the tiger sanctuary have access to all the basic amenities, these tribals have almost none.
The nearest primary health centre in Vikramasingapuram is 15 km away and the nearest hospital in Ambasamudram is 25 km away. The villagers have no choice but to use jungle herbs for most ailments. "We travel to the hospital only when such herbs don't work. How will a pregnant woman in labour ever manage to cross the riverbed or the rickety bridge? So, they are forced to have their babies at home," says Pichandi.
Some 10 solar lamps, gifted by Tirunelveli collector G Prakash during his sole visit to this village, gather dust in the corner of these houses. There are no street lamps, or any streets for that matter, in this forgotten village.
Image: Most villagers earn their livelihood by cultivating chillies, cotton seeds, bananas etc.
Also read: 'There is more concern for the tiger outside India!'
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