Most of the five tribal hamlets at Bokkapuram in Sholur Town Panchayat near Masinagudi lie in close proximity to luxury resorts. However, unlike the idyllic paradise that the tourists get to enjoy, the Kurumbar and Irular tribes have been facing an acute water crisis due to the lack of rain in the district.
C Malu, a cook working at one of the resorts in Bokkapuram, says that a stream which descends from one of the surrounding mountains usually brings enough water to meet the needs of 500 families that live here.
“Because there has been no rain, the stream has dried up and we depend on private water suppliers for drinking water,” he said.
His wife, P Sivagami, says that the Forest Department was reluctant to grant permission for a bore well to be dug in Bokkapuram. Similarly, Mohammed Ali, another resident, says that there has been very little effort taken by the district administration to address the crises. “They marked out a bore well almost one year ago, but have still not come around to digging the well and installing a tap,” he said. Access to Bokkapuram from Sholur, where the town panchayat office is located is extremely difficult. As Bokkapuram lies on the other side of a hill, passable only on foot, the residents have to travel almost 60 km. to meet panchayat officials and get their grievances addressed.
