ICAR-SBI supplies nutrition garden kits among tribals in Anamalai Tiger Reserve

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) on Wednesday handed over provisions for tribal residents to set up a ‘nutrition garden’ in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR).

The project’s Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribe Component (DAPSTC) was mooted to address the nutritional requirements of tribal population. The initiative aims to improve the nutrition status, mainly of tribal women and children, who were found to be in a malnourished state.

“As part of the project, tribal people were given farm tools, household items, seed kits for setting up and maintaining a nutrition garden in the Chinnarpathy tribal settlement. Similar initiatives will also be carried out in the villages of Nagaroothu- 1, Nagaroothu-2, Old Sarkarpathy, Chinnarpathy, Koomaatti and Paalakinaru,” said a statement.

As many as 30 items were given to the tribals for developing the garden, besides some essentials like rain coat, gumboot and a FM radio. The awareness event named ‘Knowledge Empowerment of Tribals’ held at the Advanced Wildlife Management Training Centre at Attakatti was presided over by G Hemaprabha, director of ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore and MG Ganesan, Deputy Director of ATR.

The tribal people were also to be trained on raising vegetable gardens on their own.