HYDERABAD: Tribals of at least three villages in the Nallamala forest in the state are literally groping in the dark due to erratic power supply since the onset of monsoon this year.
The villagers claim that even a single spell of rain is turning out to be a nightmare for the tribals living in Vatavarlapally, Sarlapally and Kudichintalapalli villages as the power disruption not only makes it difficult for them to stay safe in the forest and carry out their day-to-day activities but also takes a toll on the functioning of drinking water schemes in some areas.
“The villages that we live in are located deep inside the forest and it becomes very difficult for us to move about in the forest in case of emergencies after sunset. This is a very serious problem because in monsoon, there is always an increase in snake bite cases in the forest areas,” Nimmala Surayya, a resident of Kudichintalapalli, said.
“Lack of three-phase power supply has also become a stumbling block in the operation of the drinking water borewells in several tribal habitations, provided by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency. These drinking water bores are the only source of clean drinking water for us apart from the natural water source, which is about 7-8 kilometres far,” he said.
The situation is despite these three villages were identified under the Giri Vikasam scheme, which envisages three-phase electricity in land belonging to small and marginal tribal populations, last year.
“An open electricity line has been sanctioned for the three villages, which means that the officials can now provide three-phase power supply to the beneficiaries and take measures to reduce the number of power cuts in the region,” said Chatru Naik, sarpanch of Vatavarlapalli village.
“However, this is being delayed because the forest department is yet to give permission for the power supply line to the villages,” he said.
However, when contacted, Nagarkurnool district forest officer G Kista Goud said, “Since the electricity department is the user agency here, they should apply for a permission for this three-phase line. Only then, we can check the environmental impact and see if the permissions can be given.”
