Survival an uphill task for Lodha tribals

BARIPADA: Deprived of basic facilities like health care, drinking water, education and housing, life for people of the primitive Lodha community residing in Chamchata village at  the foothills of Similipal Tiger Reserve under Mankadpada panchayat is a constant struggle against odds.

Though the Government claims to have succeeded in bringing about development in the tribal areas of the State, the village portrays a completely different picture. At least 28 families of the village travel one-and-half kilometre everyday just to fetch a pot of drinking water from a pit.

Moreover, enforcement of stringent forest laws has badly affected the livelihood of the tribals several of whom are forced to move to other States to work as migrant labourers. With benefits of Centrally-sponsored schemes like MGNREGS yet to reach the village,  situated on the border of Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts, it is a perfect example of indifference of Government machinery towards the tribals who do not have access to electricity and houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

“We have requested the officials repeatedly to supply power to our village. As social and community functions are usually held at night, we face a lot of inconvenience and have to get generators on rent. Several poor families have started performing such functions during the day as it is difficult for them to afford a generator,” said Gopinath Naik, a resident of the village. The villagers do not have land of their own due to which the Government’s housing schemes are yet to reach them, he added.

Meanwhile, Kaptipada BDO Judhistir Nayak admitted that the village is under Balasore district but some facilities like voter cards and Aadhaar cards have been registered under Mayurbhanj district. He said recently, solar lights have been provided to the residents of the village where a well has been dug. “A proposal has been floated for construction of a road between the village and Kaptipada town for better communication”, said the BDO, adding that although the villagers have not been given houses as they do not have their own land, efforts are being made to relocate them.