Impact of NTFP ban on the lives and livelihood of the ... - Vasundhara

SanitationPoor sanitation and unhygienic drinking water leads to various diseases (particularly water relatedvector borne diseases) like diarrohea and jaundice. Very few villages have tube wells for drinkingwater purpose. Rest <strong>of</strong> the villages has to depend on streamsand water channels for household chores aswell as drinkingpurpose.Water used for household as well asdrinking purposewater’.Sarat Chandra Sabhoo the retd. Pharmacist pointed thatdrinking polluted water is also one <strong>of</strong> the prime causes <strong>of</strong>infant deaths. He further added ‘bore/tube wells are notdugin the villages as the strict sanctuary lawdoes not allowthe operation <strong>of</strong> big machines and movement <strong>of</strong> heavyvehicles inside as thearea comesunder Tiger Reserve . Thepeople have no other options but to drink the pollutedCommunicationCommunication is a major problem and thevillage becomes completely inaccessible during therains. Under such circumstances the people are virtually left at the mercy <strong>of</strong> God as no facilities orhelp could possibly reach them and the peopleare imprisoned in the Green jail. There arenoroads connecting to some <strong>of</strong> the villages henceeven themedical van cannot reach them forregular check up. Last year when the incidence <strong>of</strong>mass infant death took place in Kuanribill village,due to heavy rains every connectivity to thevillage was cut <strong>of</strong>f andit was verydifficult forthemedical team to reach the village for help. Atemporary wooden bridge has been constructed connecting the village but the condition <strong>of</strong> thebridge (inthe photograph) showss that it cannot sustain the rains this year. Similar is the conditionfor most <strong>of</strong> the villages and such condition makes the life <strong>of</strong> the peoplee miserable.50