Team Herald
PONDA: After struggling to obtain basic facilities for the past several decades, the members of the nomadic Vanarmare Tribe, originally from Maharashtra and known as the Katakari Samaj, were overjoyed after being provided with electricity.
Twenty families with children lived in these huts, existing in a primitive state without basic facilities.
The Electricity Department provided electricity to these 20 huts through underground connections. The process of connecting the electricity took six months to complete.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Executive Engineer Sudan Kukalkar, Assistant Engineer Nilkat Sawant, staff from the Power Department, Babani Mapari of an NGO and others.
The efforts of South Goa MP Capt Viriato Fernandes accelerated the work. After the technical process of connecting the underground electricity was completed, each hut erected a two-metre-high wall to accommodate electricity metres, switch boards, and bulbs.
After being connected to electricity, the Katkari community is overjoyed.
Local tribe leader Gopal Pawar said, “Our dream of having electricity in our huts has come true today. Previously, there were electricity poles outside the settlement, but no light inside our huts. Now, we will have light at night, our children can study, we can charge our phones, and even use mixers for cooking. We hope to join the mainstream and dream of good education and permanent houses. However, we do not have our own land and can only dream of it for now.”
The tribe members expressed their gratitude to Goa Government and the social organisations for the support.
A decade ago, unknown persons demolished their huts. Following complaints, the Goa Human Rights Commission ordered the Goa government to provide the tribe members with the basic amenities. In addition to assistance from Goans and NGOs, the government provided the tribe members with tap water and, with the help of an NGO, they were provided with solar panel lights. Unfortunately, the solar panels soon were rendered defunct, forcing the members to live in darkness. Now, their only dream is to build permanent houses but have no land of their own.