Tribal people in Anamalai Tiger Reserve announce protest for roads

TIRUPPUR: People living in tribal settlements in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), including Kurumalai, have planned to launch an indefinite protest on February 14, demanding a road to their villages. To this end, they are distributing leaflets in settlements and mobilising support.

N Manikandan, state committee member of Tamil Nadu Tribal People’s Association, said, “There are more than 15 tribal villages including Kurumalai, Kuzhipatti, and Mavadappu in the Udumalaipettai forest range, which is under the ATR, in Tiruppur district. We have been fighting for about 50 years seeking roads in the hill villages. Due to our continuous protests, in 2023, the state government ordered the construction of a mud road from the foothills of Thirumurthy to Kurumalai village, where 101 families live, for Rs 49 lakh. But the work is not yet complete. Forest department’s interference is the reason for the delay.”