Bhadrachalam ITDA PO intervenes after forest officials block power line to tribal hamlet in Yellandu

Forest officials emphasized that supplying electricity to agricultural lands near the forest could pose a danger to wild animals, as farmers might install electric fences to protect their crops from wild boars, buffaloes, and other wildlife. On Saturday, ITDA project officer B. Rahul, along with forest and electricity officials, visited the village. The electricity officials informed him that 25 poles would need to be installed to create a three-phase electricity line, enabling tribal farmers to irrigate their crops using borewells.

Kothagudem: With forest officials denying permission to lay electricity line to a tribal hamlet Mamigi Gundala in Yellandu mandal in the district, Bhadrachalam ITDA PO intervened to address the issue.

Forest officials maintained that if electricity was supplied to agriculture lands near the forest, wild animals would be harmed as the farmers could lay electric fence to protect crop fields from wild boars, wild buffaloes and other animals.

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The ITDA project officer B Rahul along with the forest and electricity officials visited the village on Saturday. Electricity officials told the officer that 25 poles have to be erected to lay a three-phase electricity line to help tribal farmers to feed water to crops from borewells.

He said that electricity facility has to be provided to tribal farmers without disturbing the forest and asked the forest and electricity departments to prepare proposals only for the lands of tribal farmers with podu pattas, excluding the revenue lands.

Rahul noted that electricity facility should be provided only to the tribals hav podu pattas and non-tribals would not be supplied electricity. Forest officials should understand the plight of tribal farmers in remote areas and supply electricity without loss of forest and harm to animals.

Speaking to the tribal farmers earlier, he told to focus on organic farming and plant high-yielding crops with low investment. All the farmers should work collectively in order to get high returns by taking up cultivation of oil palm, orchards and sugarcane besides setting up fish ponds.

Rahul assured the farmers that he would soon consult higher officials of the forest department to lay the electricity line to the village. It would benefit as many as 41 tribal farmers.