Members of the Gajagadi hamlet, an inaccessible tribal village in Thirunelly grama panchayat in Wayanad district, are in an elated mood as solar power brightens all their thatched huts from Tuesday.
The transformation has been brought about by a solar power system put up by officials of the North Wayanad forest division.
The Gajagadi hamlet, on the lap of the Begur forest under the North Wayanad forest division, has 102 members in 29 families. The members of the colony belong to the Kattunayaka tribe, a primitive tribal group. Infrastructure facilities are far away from the reach of the tribe even in these modern times. The members of the tribe still need to trek Around 5 km to reach the hamlet from the main road.
A recent visit of Narendranath Veluri, North Wayanad divisional forest officer, changed the fate of the people here. “When we visited the hamlet a few months ago, we learned that the tribesmen had little access to basic amenities and eke out a living largely by collecting and selling minor forest produce or by working as farm hands,” Mr. Veluri told The Hindu .
“Hence we decided to provide at least light in every house,” he added.
The department has spent nearly Rs.7 lakh for the project and it has been implemented by the Nirmithi Kendra, Wayanad, with technical assistance from Keltron.
As many as three LED lamps are installed under each roof apart from 10 street lights and a community television installed in the hamlet.
Timed
“All the lights are timed to function from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and the television from 6 p.m. to 9p.m.” Mr. Veluri said, adding Keltron provided a warranty of one year to the battery and equipment.
“The Forest Department is always in the forefront of executing development projects for the tribesmen and as a part of it, the department constructed an anganwadi building for them nearly three years ago,” he said.
E. Pradeepkumar, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Northern region, will commission the project.
