MYSURU: It is celebration time at Palar hadi along the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu as the tribal settlement with 75 houses that lived in darkness with kerosene lamps and torch lights for decades has finally got electricity supply.
The hadi, one of forest brigand Veerappan’s hideouts and situated on the banks of the Palar River, had not got power all these years as the forest department had objected to erecting poles or drawing power lines fearing it would threaten wildlife as the region has a high movement of elephants, sambar, deer and other animals. The families had to buy kerosene in the black market at nearby Govindapadi and Kolathur village in Salem district or Gopinatham, the brigand’s village.
“Madappa (Lord Mahadeshwara) has been kind this Shivarathri as the village has electricity supply. Our children and fellow villagers are happy, hoping that the electric bulbs will be lit anytime and we can say goodbye to kerosene lanterns,” said Madamma, a tribal.
Another villager, Murgesh, skipped work to attend the event to commission power supply. He said they want the panchayat to erect streetlights to protect them from elephants which visit their hadi almost every day.
He said their relatives and friends from many tribal villages have congregated at the hadi to celebrate.
The area has 22 tribal villages that are in darkness and don’t have basic facilities like power supply, roads and drinking water. The Chamundeshwari Electric Supply Company (CESCOM) took up the initiative in December last year to provide power supply at a cost of Rs 41 crore.
CESCOM former managing director G Sheela said they managed to convince forest authorities to lay underground power cables to all the 75 villages.