PRI reps, community leaders roped in
The Malkangiri district administration took up a tough task of evacuating the tribals on the Bonda hills on Saturday with the help of community leaders and local representatives. The hills are home to the about 7,000 members of a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG).
The administration targeted to shift about 2,000 members who live in unsafe ‘kuchha’ houses on the hill top.
Chitrakonda MlA Dambaru Sisa, who is also a member of the Bonda tribal community, said he had been trying to convince the tribesmen and women to move to safer place in view of the cyclone.
“Many of them are reluctant to leave their huts. The identified 2,000 tribal people have never come down the hills in their lifetime,” said the MlA, who was monitoring the evacuation process.
According to District Welfare Officer (DWO) and in-charge of Bonda Development Project Santosh Rath, community leaders were engaged to convince the tribals to shift to safer places.
“We do not allow others to motivate them as Bondas are basically temperamental. Evacuating those from the lower Bonda areas is comparatively easy but convincing those residing in the upper hill to shift is a tough job and requires to be handled carefully,” he said.
The Bondas are being sheltered at two gram panchayat buildings at Andrahal and Mudulipada. This apart, three permanent school buildings are also ready to accommodate them, Rath informed.
Apart from engaging community leaders in the job, the help of members of panchayati raj institutions has also been sought, Rath said.
Arrangements have been made to run free kitchens to provide cooked food to the tribals at the centres set up to shelter them, he added.
Evacuation of the Bondas is essential as their hills, located about 4,000 feet above sea level, are expected to be pounded by very heavy rains and hit by landslides due to the very severe cyclonic storm, Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said.