Kerala Forest dept. rolls out ‘Oorunarvu’ for tribal welfare, forest conservation

A resident of Vaniyampuzha tribal hamlet asking questions to Forest Minister Shibu Baby John during an interactive session at Munderi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN The Forest department has launched ‘Oorunarvu’, an initiative to improve the living conditions of tribal communities in forest areas while drawing on their traditional knowledge for forest conservation and mitigating human-wildlife conflict.Launching the programme at Vaniyampuzha tribal hamlet in Munderi forests near Nilambur on Thursday (July 23, 2026), Forest Minister Shibu Baby John said he would visit all 36 tribal settlements in forest areas to hear grievances and coordinate solutions with the Scheduled Tribes Development department.The Forest department will allot land for a pre-primary school and a community hall at Vaniyampuzha and for an anganwadi at Mundakkadavu in the Karulai forest.The department will also rehabilitate families from the Thandankallu tribal settlement, displaced by floods seven years ago and now living in staff quarters at the Munderi seed plantation. Children from Vaniyampuzha tribal hamlet receiving Forest Minister Shibu Baby John by singing a folk song on Thursday. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN If the Geology department certifies their former settlement site in the forest as habitable, it will be restored to them. Otherwise, alternative land will be allotted within six months after securing Central approval, the Minister said.Mr. Baby John said tribal youth would get priority in recruitment to the proposed 500-member Forest department special reserve force. They would also be trained as guide-cum-guards under Responsible Tourism projects.The government was also working to provide land to flood-displaced families, with eligible beneficiaries at Vaniyampuzha set to receive land soon, he said.The department will hold three forest adalats in August, a farmers’ adalat, an NOC adalat, and a forest offence adalat. NOC applications without legal hurdles would be cleared within six months, the Minister said.He distributed Forest Rights Act title deeds to 39 of 43 eligible families from Vaniyampuzha and Tharippapotti tribal settlements. Two more title deeds will be issued within a month, while two applications are under verification.Aryadan Shoukath, MLA, presided over the function held at Vaniyampuzha. District Collector Vinay Goyal, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Pramod G. Krishnan, Chief Conservators of Forests K. Vijayanand and K. Karthikeyan, Perinthalmanna Sub-Collector Sakshi Mohan, Nilambur South Divisional Forest Officer G. Dhaniklal, North Divisional Forest Officer P. Dhanesh Kumar, Pothukal grama panchayat president M.A. Jose, and ITDP District Project Officer M. Bipindas spoke. Published - July 23, 2026 07:52 pm IST