Baripada: At a time when the state and the centre are boasting of taking a slew of developmental measures for the welfare of indigenous communities, here in Similipal Tiger Reserve, the inhabitants took the job of repairing a road upon themselves as their repeated pleas to the administration fell on deaf ears.
The low-pressure triggered incessant rain over the last three days has washed away around 75 km of road stretched between Jashipur and Astakuanr on the extreme end of the sanctuary paralysing the lives of around 12,000 tribals. While some portions have been washed away, others have become slippery.
According to the villagers, the condition of the road has deteriorated to such a level that let alone ambulances, even it is impossible for a cycle rider to move. There is every possibility that light vehicles and even cycles may skid off the road. The villagers also suffer from irregularity in PDS distribution due to snapped communication.
According to Barehipani Sarpanch, Jujher Bansingh, representatives from all the three panchayats had approached the district administration to take immediate measures to repair the road, but to no avail. Finding no other option to restore normalcy as it has been their only connecting route, members of all the 42 Gram Sabhas took a decision to repair the road on their own.
Around 800 villagers assembled together and started their work Sunday using gravels and other locally available materials. By the time this report was filed, they have repaired about 20 km stretch of the road and the work is on.
Similipal is a unique landscape rich with plant and animal biodiversity that has been managed by Gram Sabhas. There are 43 villages under three panchayats which are connected by this single forest route. The road has been managed by the forest department and after recognition under Forest Rights Act, five buses are plying through the sanctuary to provide road communication facility to the inhabitants under the Biju Gaon Gadi Yojana.
According to Dr Hemant Kumar Sahoo, a researcher of tribal life, who works with the community inside the sanctuary, the unique endeavour taken by the villagers is a mark of unity among the inhabitants who work in solidarity to conserve and maintain the biodiversity. He said the unity among the villagers is reflected in several ways contributing to the development of the biosphere and their own lives and livelihood.
Recently, villagers of all 42 Gram Sabhas under the banner of Similipal Vikas Parishad (SVP) observed Similipal Samaroh and took oath to work in unison for maintaining the biodiversity and forest cover of the pristinely sanctuary.
SVP convenor Mohaty Birua said the initiative taken by the villagers is a token of their unity. “We want to convey a message that if the government does not come up with a permanent solution to ensure proper road communication facility with an immediate effect, it will be responsible for the consequences,” Birua said.
PNN