COIMBATORE: A few months ago, the road ahead for C Jayaraman from Koomatti tribal settlement seemed to be leading nowhere. He completed his schooling this year but did not pursue higher education. His father, who had worked as a forest guard, retired last year. Unemployed and unaware of the opportunities, he had idled away hours on the roads in the Manombolly forest range near Valparai.
The tribal youth’s future took a turn for the better when Manombolly forest range officer K Giritharan roped him in, along with four more unemployed youngsters, to work as guides for trekkers. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has recently introduced 39 trekking routes across the state, including one in Manombolly.
Speaking to TNIE, Giritharan said the department has handpicked five youths – C Jayaraman, Anandan, Prabhu, Dheena and Prabhakaran – from two tribal settlements to provide them a job for improving their livelihoods. With the department’s initiative, all five youngsters are set to receive their first monthly salary of Rs 12,500, for working as guides for four hours a day from Friday to Sunday.
Giritharan said the officials had learned about the unemployment of the youth through their family heads, during their regular interaction with the people to address their grievances. Four of the five, he said, discontinued their school education after completing classes between 8 and 10.
Youngsters given 3-month training from forest dept
Manombolly forest range officer K Giritharan said, “Now, the youngsters work as guides to the trekkers, explaining to them the Manombolly landscape and its flora and fauna.
They are well prepared to manage tourists with the assistance of experienced anti-poaching watchers.” The youngsters were provided a three-month training from the forest department and they all picked up so well, he added.
Jayaraman said he had always been interested in working only within the forest and expressed his gratitude to the officials for selecting him for the job. Another tribal youth Prabhakaran told TNIE that they all were looking forward to weekends when trekking is allowed. “The forest is familiar, but going on journeys with trekkers is a new experience. We alert them about trail spots so they can avoid leech bites and offer them tips to observe the calls of birds, elephants, gaur, lion-tailed macaques, Indian giant squirrels, etc,” he said.
A woman trekker from last week, Sowmiya, said the trek was well organised and the officials and the guides were supportive.