Beekeeping initiative in Pichavaram mangroves: a sweet livelihood for Irula tribals

The Forest Department has installed beekeeping units at the famed Pichavaram mangroves in Cuddalore District to improve the livelihood of tribal communities in the fringe villages of forests

| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Amid the verdant mangrove region, straddling the Vellar and Coleroon (Kollidam) estuaries in Pichavaram, a new conservation-based livelihood initiative integrating tribal welfare, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience is taking shape.Implemented by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department through the Eco-Tourism Management Committee (ETMC) under the Climate Resilient Village (CRV) initiative with financial assistance from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) under the TRIBES scheme, the initiative aims to create sustainable livelihoods for the Irula tribal community living on the forest fringes while strengthening mangrove conservation.The project is funded by NABARD at an outlay of ₹25.37 lakh.According to Cuddalore Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar, “The initiative builds on the centuries-old association of the Irula tribal community with the Pichavaram mangrove ecosystem. Traditionally dependent on fishing, crab collection and wild honey gathering, Irula families will now be equipped with scientific beekeeping practices, enabling them to diversify their livelihoods while conserving the mangrove ecosystem.”