Forest Dwellers Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu
The forest department does care for tribals. Well, sometimes. At a function in the last week of February, officials of the north division of the Nilgiris forest department, Tamil Nadu, gave away two cell phones to residents of Anaipallam and Chinnalacombai -- tribal hamlets in a remote part of the district. The conservator of forests, Coimbatore Circle, T Sekhar, told mediapersons that the grant was facilitated by the Forest Development Agency constituted under the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Programme of the Union ministry of environment and forests.
"The instruments would aid the tribals during medical emergencies," said Sekhar. The conservator also hopes that the gizmos would help his department "get information about frequent bush fires and poaching".
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