A unique project initiated during February this year in the tribal belts of backward Attappady region to give each landless family at least one acre of cultivable land apart from helping it regain their lost livelihood and food security cover is now facing a major hurdle with geology and hydrology experts terming the forest stretch identified for the second phase of the project as wasteland where no agricultural activity is possible.
The initial plan was to distribute fertile portions of 10,000 acres of rocky and barren forestland, set apart years ago for tribal welfare and that too with the concurrence of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, among 783 beneficiary tribal families identified for the second phase of the project.
With experts saying a firm no against distributing barren wasteland among landless tribals, the search for alternative land has begun.
“The first phase of the project is nearing completion with our officials finding required cultivable land for distribution among 517 landless families. The process of fixing permanent boundaries using stone survey markers will be completed in two months and the official distribution will taken place after that. As far as the second phase is concerned, the search for land is on and it requires policy decision on the part of the State government,’’ said Ottappalam Sub-Collector and Attappady Special Officer P.B. Nooh to The Hindu .
No sufficient land
Meanwhile, officials indicated that finding land for the second phase involved a strenuous task as Attappady block did have not much suitable government land at its disposal. The required land must either be purchased from private owners or must be set aside from forestlands on the basis of political and policy decisions.
When it was conceived, the project evoked wide appreciation as previous land distribution drives by the State government among tribals in the region have evoked sharp criticism because rocky barren lands were distributed then. All the beneficiaries had abandoned such lands.
The new project was visualized as a foolproof mechanism learning lessons from the past failed experiences. The aim was not just handing over of land but creating model tribal villages with sustainable food self sufficiency.
Focus was also on largescale cultivation of millets and pulses. Mr Nooh had visualized the project in consultation with tribal collectives and experts in the field.
