Kundapur: Koragas in Karkada Wait in Darkness for Light
Daijiworld Media Network—Kundapur (RD/CN)
Kundapura, Aug 2: A tribal colony located on the national highway at Karkada, near here, which comes under the purview of Saligrama town panchayat, is devoid of most essential amenities. Ten Koraga families live on a 3.5 acre plot and their living conditions, especially during the monsoon, are inhumane.
Although lush greenery welcomes the visitor in Koraga colony, their pathetic life in the 21st century is beyond imagination. The situation of Gowri, who was elected as member of Saligrama gram panchayat, is in no way different.
The apathy of local governance and district administration has contributed to the Koraga colony remaining backward in every respect. The tribals are also ignorant of government facilities that act as an impediment to their development. Despite a few of the tribals here working as civic workers in the locality; their economic conditions have not noticeably improved.
The tribal leader urges the people’s representatives and the state administration to help them get the most basic amenities to their colony.
These are some instances of the living conditions:
• The tribals have no permanent dwellings
• No drinking water facility
• No drainage system owing to which water gets accumulated within the colony
• The electricity meter has been installed to the palm leaf sheets that double as walls, in the absence of walls, while wooden beams support the thatch-roof
• Sari covered four corners in every household serves as toilets
The existing deplorable conditions can be improved with:
A big open well can be dug to supply drinking water for the families. It would improve their economic situation, since the water can irrigate commercial crops in the colony.
The saplings can be provided to these tribal families by forestry, agriculture and plantation department, which would change the landscape of the colony in Karkada.
Building a boundary wall for the colony can stop encroachment by wealthy landlords. It would secure tribal properties.
Proper drainage if put in place can curb contagious diseases from insects breeding in the stagnant water in the colony.
More than 15 tribal women are unemployed; if they are accommodated in training camps on employment, they would be absorbed in gainful jobs, which would economically empower them.