The second wave of Covid-19 has found a new hunting ground in the tribal-dominated talukas of Palghar district, which is hardly a two-hour drive from the country’s financial capital. Even as the virus ravages the tribal lands, there is hardly any awareness among people on how to safeguard themselves or what precautions to take. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Palghar Zila Parishad Siddhartha Salimath, claimed that his field workers are spreading awareness among the tribal community. But the ground reality paints a grim picture. 

mid-day visited the tribal villages of Jawhar and Mokhada talukas and found no hoardings or pictorial messages regarding Covid-19 protocols. The male members of the tribe, who often go bare-chested, were not wearing face masks. A few females covered their faces with their dupatta or the pallu of their saree. “We don’t even have proper clothes to wear, how will we get a mask and who will give them to us?” murmured a few tribal women in Bedukwadi village in Mokhada Taluka.