Here, they don’t just guard the forest

Thiruvananthapuram: On Friday, a team of forest officers took the department boat to reach Puravimala tribal settlement in Neyyar sanctuary where a set of tribesmen with their produce such as tapioca, wild turmeric (kasturi manjal) and banana were waiting for them. The forest officials paid them money and bought all the material. But why?

Forest officials under the Thiruvananthapuram wildlife division covering Neyyar, Peppara and Agasthyavanam Biological Park ranges are on a rare mission.

Assigned with the task of protecting the forest, wildlife and the tribal community in the area, the officials of the division could not remain mute spectators to the collapse of the community market in the area due to the

lockdown

. Tribal people from various settlements used to reach Kottoor every Wednesday and Saturday as part of their ‘kanichantha’. But, this year, they couldn’t do so dueto the lockdown.

That is when the forest officials led by wildlife warden J R Ani decided for market intervention for the sale of farm products of the tribesmen. “By arranging a WhatsApp group, Vanika, by the Mancode tribal eco development committee, we were able to arrange sale of products in the city on Wednesdays and Saturdays. After distributing among the locals, the remaining products were sold to several houses, including that of the district collector in the city, last Wednesday. We purchase the products from people in these settlements by giving market value of the products and then sell it in the city. While there is huge demand for most products such as jackfruit, banana etc, some products such as cashew and wild turmeric have no takers,” Ani said.

Range deputy warden Satheeshan, section forest officer Sinu Kumar and beat forest officer Gopika Surendran are leading the initiative.

In addition to the sale of the products, forest officials are active in providing all emergency support to the tribespeople by providing logistics such as boats and jeep.

Forest officials said though they have ensured availability of rice, pulses and provisions, there is a shortage of vegetables in the area. “We have started a pickle making unit at Kottoor, from where pickle is distributed in the tribal settlements and community kitchen.”

With the support of Tejus, an organisation of IT professionals in Technopark, and social worker Sunitha, the forest officials had handed over sanitary napkins to women in the tribal settlements. The napkins were arranged after women forest officials of Agastarkoodam range noticed shortage of sanitary materials for women in the settlements.