In the densely wooded Kudremukh National Park hills, communities that have historically lived in the forest lack the most essential facilities. Among them is the Malekudiya community in Kuthluru village, where their 30 homes lack electricity connections and water supply even today. “There is a major demand from the people here for electricity,” says Shridhara Malekudiya, a farmer in Kuthluru, which falls in Beltangadi taluka of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka.

About eight years ago, Shridhara bought a pico hydro generator to electrify his house. His was among 11 homes to invest in generating their own power. “The remaining houses have nothing – no electricity, no hydro power, no water supply.” Now 15 homes in the village produce hydro electricity from pico hydro machines. The small water turbine generates about 1 kilowatt of electricity – enough for a couple of bulbs in a home.

Though it is 18 years since the enactment of Forest Rights Act , basic infrastructure such as water, roads, schools and hospitals granted under the law has not been implemented for the people living in Kudremukh National Park. Electricity is just one of the amenities that the Malekudiya community, a Schedule Tribe, is struggling to get.

Watch the video: ‘It is difficult for people if there is no electricity’

Postscript: This video was made in 2017. Kuthluru has not received electricity supply until today.

Vittala Malekudiya

ਵਿਟਾਲਾ ਮਾਲੇਕੁੜਿਆ 2017 ਦੀ ਪਾਰੀ ਦੀ ਫ਼ੈਲੋ ਹਨ। ਦਕਸ਼ਿਨ ਕੰਨੜ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਦੇ ਬੇਲਤਾਂਗੜੀ ਤਾਲੁਕਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੁਦ੍ਰੇਮੁਖ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਪਾਰਕ ਦੀ ਨਿਵਾਸੀ, ਉਹ ਮਾਲੇਕੁੜਿਆ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ, ਜੰਗਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲ਼ੇ ਕਬੀਲੇ ਤੋਂ ਹਨ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਮੰਗਲੌਰ ਯੂਨੀਵਰਸਿਟੀ ਤੋਂ ਜਨਰਨਲਿਜ਼ਮ ਅਤੇ ਮਾਸ ਕਮਿਊਨੀਕੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਐੱਮ.ਏ. ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਸਮੇਂ ਬੰਗਲੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਕੰਨੜਾ ਡੇਇਲੀ ਦੇ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ‘ਪ੍ਰਜਾਵਨੀ’ ਵਿਖੇ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ।

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Editor : Vinutha Mallya

ਵਿਨੂਤਾ ਮਾਲਿਆ ਪੱਤਰਕਾਰ ਤੇ ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਹਨ। ਉਹ ਪੀਪਲਜ਼ ਆਰਕਾਈਵ ਆਫ਼ ਰੂਰਲ ਇੰਡੀਆ ਵਿਖੇ ਸੰਪਾਦਕੀ ਪ੍ਰਮੁੱਖ ਸਨ।

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