Tribesmen rehabilitation hits a roadblock

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Around 2,750 families living in dense forests at 110 settlements in Wayanad district facing the man-animal conflict are unable to move out even after giving their consent for rehabilitation.The demand for rehabilitating the tribesmen and non-tribesmen started three  decades ago and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had given clearance for ‘Voluntary relocation of human settlements’ in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The first instalment of Rs 5.5 crore for rehabilitating two settlements was sanctioned and the procedural delay by the Kerala Forest Department will lead to the fund getting lapsed by the end of March this year. Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi president Badusha said that the study conducted by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) had revealed the statistics of the people living in the forests facing danger to their life. When the voluntary resettlement project was announced, almost all the people expressed willingness to leave their forest dwellings. In the initial phase two settlements, Golur and Ammavayal, in Kurichiyadu forest range, were selected for rehabilitation. There are around 55 families and Rs 5.5 crore was sanctioned for them.“Due to procedural delays, the rehabilitation has not started and those in the core area of the forest are the worst-affected. There are around 800 families spread across 14 villages in remote areas and they have to be rehabilitated in the second phase,” said Badusha. To the request of the Kerala Government for a fool-proof rehabilitation project, the MoEF asked the former to modify the proposal in tune with the revised guidelines of the Centrally-sponsored ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ for further consideration. The State Government was not able to revise the proposal as there were no guidelines issued by the Union Ministry.  Highly placed sources in the Forest Department said that a favourable decision on relaxing the Wildlife Habitat rule was expected from the MoEF. Already Rs 3.5 crore has been sanctioned for the first phase and it is expected to be distributed to the eligible families by March. The package offered was either to receive Rs 10 lakh for each family, irrespective of the land mass in their possession, or relocation by the Forest Department.  A son, over 18 years, irrespective of his marital status and unmarried daughter above 18 years, physically and mentally challenged persons irrespective of their age and sex, minor orphan and a widow or a woman divorcee are treated as separate families. Sources said that with the completion of the project, the Forest Department could protect the endangered birds and animals in the area. White backed vulture and Shyama are some of the birds, seen only in Wayanad, which are facing extinction.