TNIE Impact: Coimbatore forest dept arranges transport for tribal students in ATR

A day after TNIE highlighted how students were forced to drop out of school due to lack of transportation, forest department, with support from NGOs, has arranged a customized battery-operated vehicle for tribal students at Old Sarkarpathi in Anaimalai Tiger Reserve Forest near Pollachi. The vehicle would be operated from June 13 to drop and pick up students from school and also transport tribals in the settlement during emergencies.

Speaking to TNIE, MG Ganesan, deputy director of ATR, said, "Twelve persons can travel in the battery- operated auto. It was the tribal's long-standing demand as there is no public transportation facility. In March, when members from two NGOs Aakriti and Martin Foundation come to my office for conducting a health camp for the tribes, I put forth the request for such a vehicle to help the students. They immediately accepted and bore the cost of `2.5 lakh to customise the vehicle. On full charge, the vehicle can be operated up to 60 km."

"There is a government elementary school in the settlement. For middle school, they have to travel for ten km to Anaimalai because  which there is a high drop out rate. With the vehicle, the students can reach school comfortably. Since it is battery operated, there is no fuel cost," he said. More NGOs have come forward such vehicles to tribal settlements including Nagaruthu 1 and 2, Kozhikamuthi, Erumaparai, he added.

Further, Ganesan thanked district Collector GS Sameeran for his swift response in arranging customized vehicles for the four settlements.