ADILABAD: A large quantity of rice and dal stored in godowns for supply to tribal hostels in undivided Adilabad district has got spoiled due to closure of
schools and hostels for many months during the Covid period. The rotten
foodstuff now cannot be supplied to tribal hostels for fear of food
poisoning, it is understood.
The officials concerned failed to foresee that the rice, dal and other food
materials would be damaged after storing them for longer periods at one
place in a room or godown.
It is said that the ITDA officials should have used the rice for
distribution among the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGS) much
before they got damaged or else diverted to the public distribution system
through ration shops.The ITDA officials reportedly made a futile attempt to
distribute the free rice to the 1,000 families of Kolam Adivasis a few days
ago as the officials wanted to use the rice stocks in tribal welfare hostel,
but found the rice non consumable, to their utter shock.
The officials dropped the idea of distributing the rice to the Adivasis due
to the fear that the rice may cause food poisoning if consumed by them. With
the extension of lockdown for 10 more days, the Kolams, Naikpods, Thoti,
Mannewar, Andh and some Gond Adivasis are reeling under pathetic conditions
with no work in the old Adilabad district.
Kolams are the most vulnerable group which depends on minor forest produce
and makes a living by selling baskets and mats made of bamboo collected from
the forests.
But, now the Kolams are not being allowed into the forest and trenches are
dug up to prevent them from going inside the forests.
These Adivasis are unable to sell bamboo products even if they manage to
make some baskets and mats since there are no weekly markets due to the
lockdown. It is found that Kolams are badly in need of essential commodities
like edible oil, mirchi, vegetables, onions, sugar, tea and other
commodities to save themselves from starvation.
However, Kolam families are collecting monthly rice from the nearest ration
shops and that is their only means of survival. Dr Appala Chakradhari, a
paediatrician of Nirmal who recently visited Kolam hamlets, said already
pregnant women, new-borns and lactating women have been suffering from
anaemia and their health would deteriorate further if they did not get
nutritional food in this stage.
