Residents of Kathirimalai tribal hamlet in Anthiyur Taluk will soon see improvements in their socio-economic conditions as the district administration has come out with a comprehensive livelihood project that will be implemented by various government departments.
As many as 80 families comprising 294 members belonging to Solaga community reside in the hamlet inside the reserve forest area of Chennampatti Forest Range in Erode Forest Division. The hamlet in Bargur Panchayat Union can be reached only on foot by traversing the rough terrain for nine km from Kathiripatti at Kolathur in Salem district. Solar panels light up the households, while pregnant women and patients are still carried in cloth cradles to the hospital in Kolathur.
Most of the 90 acres in the hamlet is used for cultivating millets for self-consumption. Livestock rearing and handicrafts production are the major source of income.
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On September 4, Pratik Tayal, Additional Collector (Development) / Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency, led a team comprising officials from the Departments of Revenue, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture Engineering and ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra, MYRADA, to the village and discussed various projects for implementation.
The officials conducted door-to-door surveys and ascertained the requirements of the people.
It was decided to introduce high yielding new crop varieties, create community storage godown, focus on crop diversification, go for compartmental bunding for optimum utilisation of available land and to prevent soil erosion, increase strength of goat and poultry, encourage them to make furniture from Lantana camara and establish bio-plants. It was also decided to identify water sources in the hamlet and construct check dams.
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Collector H. Krishnanunni told The Hindu that the comprehensive livelihood project will provide sustainable income for the families.