In quest for promised land, people of Chengadi set to relocate

May 09, 2020 12:07 am | Updated 12:07 am IST - MYSURU

Officials undertaking a recent survey of Chengadi village in Chamarajanagar district.

Officials undertaking a recent survey of Chengadi village in Chamarajanagar district.

For the nearly 200 families of Chengadi ensconced deep inside M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary of Chamarajanagar district, it will be a one-way trip away from their ancestral village to a promised land on the forest periphery.

The villagers volunteered to seek relocation hoping for improvements in their living conditions, following which the State government constituted a committee to take up their rehabilitation. The village is 12 km deep inside the thick forests and is out of bounds, given its remote location and tough terrain.

All these years, the authorities were hamstrung, unable to complete the “last-mile” connectivity to provide basic amenities, including roads, schools, and medical facilities, while the villagers were always on edge, aware of the possibility of coming into conflict with the wild animals that roam free in the jungle. In case of a medical emergency, they had to trek 12-15 km to reach either M.M. Hills or Cowdahalli.

Chengadi’s disconnect from the mainstream was such that the entire swathe of forest around the village was found safe enough for the forest brigand Veerappan to operate without fear of the Special Task Force that was scouring for him. The body of former Minister Nagappa, who was abducted by the brigand in 2002, was also found on these terrain.

V. Yedukondalu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, told The Hindu that the Government Order approving rehabilitation was issued early this week and the committee implementing the works would be headed by the Chamarajanagar Deputy Commissioner.

No facilities

There are nearly 600 people in the village, living at present without basic facilities such as sanitation, education, and healthcare. Only a handful of people from the village have completed their education, and a majority have not gone to college.

Agriculture is the main occupation of these villagers, but extending irrigation facilities to a hamlet in a forest was out of question. So farming activities were under rain-fed conditions and provided employment to youngsters only three months a year.

“What is unique about Chengadi is its population profile, as only senior citizens live there along with the children and women folk. The youngsters relocate in search of greener pastures and visit home once in a while,” said Mr. Yedukondalu.

The first task of the committee will be to finalise the list of beneficiaries, document the details pertaining to their land holdings, and arrive at a compensation package within two months. The private lands will be transferred to the Forest Department.

Then the rehabilitation works, expected to cost between ₹30 crore and ₹40 crore, will commence on a patch of revenue land bordering the forest and Chikkallur village. “It will be similar to the Nagapura rehabilitation project on the outskirts of Nagarahole,” Mr. Yedukondalu explained.

There are a few more villages which are equally remote and backward inside M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, which is set to be declared a tiger reserve any time now. Hence, the villages have to be relocated. But the authorities said the locals have to volunteer for relocation and would not be coerced. They want the Chengadi rehabilitation exercise to serve as a model for others.

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