For 35 tribal families in Pudukadu, a small hamlet nestled within the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), the simple task of buying provisions involves an arduous trek of at least 15 km, sometimes even 54 km. Saturday, October 26, was a red letter day for them, when a provision shop was opened within their village.
A Sathyamangalam-based NGO, Rights Education and Development Centre (READ), has set up a community-owned shop in the village to serve the people there. Located 18 km from Hasanur in the Talamalai Reserve Forest, the village is only accessible via a one-km mud road branching off from the Mavallam-Kottadai road. Most residents are daily-wage earners, while a few own plots of rain-fed land.
