Speaking to Local 18, the people belonging to the tribe shared that no government officials visit them due to the distance between the residential areas and the jungle.
Besides being a popular tourist destination, the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu is also home to thousands of tribal people. Contrary to the lavish lifestyles of residents of urban areas, these tribal people face several hurdles while trying to lead a regular life. Reflecting on the issues faced by these people, the team of Local 18 reported that the tribal people are forced to live in dense forests and it is a threat to their lives. Reason? The same forest is the habitat of elephants, bears, leopards and wild cows and the houses owned by the residents there did not even have front doors until a few months back.
Given the dense forest area they live in; people have to travel a lot for every essential required by them. They also enjoy a perk of living in these forests as they get various types of fruits and vegetables for consumption available naturally. Speaking to Local 18, the people belonging to the tribe shared that no government officials visit them due to the distance between the residential areas and the jungle. For the schooling of their children, they rely on boarding schools. Some of the families have even shifted to the urban areas to ensure a better lifestyle for themselves.
When it comes to urgent medical needs, there is limited mobility available for them. Elderly ones are provided with medical needs by various charitable organisations and foundations, which contribute towards a better life for underprivileged people.
In a life-threatening incident, a tribal woman was recently attacked by elephants who reached the residential areas in search of jackfruit.
Highlighting the situation in the forest, a tribal woman said, “We are living without any basic facilities like roads and electricity. It is a long way to buy household items. It is very difficult to reach hospital and ration supplies.”
