Telangana: No road, ‘atmanirbhar’ Chenchus build one by hand

HYDERABAD: With bare hands and primitive tools, tribals deep inside Telangana’s Nallamala forest have laid an eight-kilometer road cutting across dense forests and hillocks, all by themselves in a month.
For several years, nearly 33 Chenchu tribal families who reside in Eerlapenta risked their lives and walked long distances in the treacherous Tigerland for basic essentials and medical emergencies. A road to these remote places had long been a mirage as the tribals inhabit it with wild animals, including an estimated 23 big cats, in the forests forming part of Amrabad tiger reserve.
When desperate pleas to authorities fell on deaf ears, the tribals decided to take matters in their own hands.
“I have not seen a road connecting my hamlet since my birth. There are instances where pregnant women and newborn children have died because we could not rush them to the hospital whenever there was a medical emergency,” said Chenchu Bangari, 60, from Eerlapenta.
It took the tribal men and women nearly a month to lay the road from Bhowrampet to Eerlapenta as the terrain turned very steep at certain areas. “We have to cross three hills to reach a hamlet that has road connectivity and we are always at a risk of getting attacked by a sloth bear, tiger or some other wild animal,” said Chigurlla Mallikarjun, a primary contact of the Chenchus in Nallamala.
Officials of Integrated Tribal Welfare Association (ITDA), who were surprised to see the Chenchus laying roads, have now promised them some compensation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
Tribals seek clear path to hamlet
“We realised that this hamlet was completely disconnected from the outside world only after we tried to visit the area during the lockdown. There was also a bear attack recently on the same path where the road has been laid now. They used forest resources to build a path and now it’s our job to ensure they get some compensation, which we have to estimate,” said Akhilesh Reddy, project officer of ITDA, Mannanuru.
“All they wanted is a clear path to their hamlet, so that we can send a vehicle during medical emergencies,” he added.