8 tribal families living atop Niyamgiri Hills to move down after administrative push

Eight tribal families living atop the Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha are set to move down the hill after years of isolation and lack of basic amenities. The families, residing in remote Kunnakadu village under Trilochanpur panchayat of Lanjigarh block in Kalahandi district, live without road access, electricity, hand pumps, or healthcare facilities, sources said on Sunday.

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To fetch drinking water, villagers are forced to descend nearly 900 feet to a stream. There is no nearby medical facility, making emergencies extremely risky. The village is located on a hill rising nearly 1,200 feet, adding to the daily hardships faced by residents.

Kalahandi District Collector Sachin Pawar recently trekked up the steep terrain to personally visit the village and understand the ground reality. During the visit, the Collector assured the families that if they relocate from the hilltop to the foothills, they would be provided with all basic facilities, including roads, drinking water, electricity, and healthcare access.

Earlier, villagers had firmly stated they would not abandon their ancestral land, village, and their earth deity. However, sustained efforts by the administration have now succeeded in convincing the families to come down from the hills, marking a significant step in addressing long-standing developmental challenges in the tribal-dominated region.

However, no comments were received from the district administration in this regard.

Reported By: Subham Rohila