According to a report published in The Hindu, activists and writers have urged the Odisha government to take immediate steps to the prevent loss of lives among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) like the Dongria Kondh and Bonda due to COVID-19.
- Home quarantine as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19, as suggested by the State government, would not work as privacy and isolation hardly exist within communities in tribal culture, said the intellectuals.
Dongria Kondh
- Dongria Kondh a tribe that lives in the dense forests of Niyamgiri Hills is spread across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts of southwestern Odisha.
- Since they still have a primitive lifestyle, geographically isolated from others and shy, they have been given the status of PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) from the Government of India.
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group
- There are tribal communities who have declining or stagnant population, low level of literacy, pre-agricultural level of technology and are economically backward.
- 75 such groups of tribals in 18 States and 1 Union Territory have been identified and categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
- The criteria for identifying Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups are: –
- Pre-agricultural level of technology,
- Low level of literacy,
- Economic backwardness,
- A declining or stagnant population.
Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs administers a scheme namely ‘Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)’ specifically for the PVTG population.
- The scheme covers the 75 identified PVTGs in 18 States, and Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, details of which are given below.
- The scheme aims at planning their socio-economic development in a comprehensive manner while retaining the culture and heritage of the communities by adopting habitat level development approach.
