Tribal Community

Tribal Community

The tribal communities living around the National Park includes Kurumba, Muduga, Irula and Kattu Naiken. These people are mainly agriculturists. The tribals usually follow shifting cultivation (Panchakkad) as a means to ensure soil fertility and to save labour. Common crops cultivated in this area are ragi, chaama, mustard, dal, banana, ginger, pepper, maize etc. They collect Non-timber forest produce (NTFP) such as honey, Gooseberry, Black dammar, Tubers etc. from the forest. The collection of NTFP is not permitted in the core zone of the Park. Out of the six Eco Development Committees (EDCs) four EDCs are formed based on a separate tribal settlement. This facilitates various outreach as well as welfare activities done by the National Park and also aids in management. Silent Valley has evolved into sort of an ecological over cover in the mindscape of the people living around it and they feel that their environmental needs are taken care of by the presence of the valley and the environmental threats will be annulled by its very existence nearby.