Magaluru : Zilla Panchayat chief executive officer P I Sreevidya, said at a meeting that the study will be conducted by Prof B P Gai, vice chancellor of the Karnatak University and director of the Research centre for DNA Diagnostics. “The team will study the reasons for ill-health in the traditional dwellers of the district. They will collect blood samples to study DNA of the community members,” she explained.

She said that Koraga community members were involved in civic works in the past. “Majority of them were addicted to alcohol and smoking. As a result, they are suffering from cancer and tuberculosis. The Koraga members should maintain their health by consuming nutritious food supplied to them by the government. The DNA test will help in finding reason for the health complications encountered by the members of the community,” she explained.

The chief executive officer directed the officials of the Department of Health and Family Welfare to conduct health camps in Koraga colonies in the district. She said that the AJ Hospital in Mangaluru will conduct health camps in Koraga colony every Sunday through its mobile unit. The camp will be held at Kererkadu Koraga colony in Mulki on June 19, she informed.

Hemalatha, the ITDP coordinator, said that, according to the census in undivided Dakshina Kannada district in 1961, there had been 6,382 Koraga community members. “This increased to 7,620 in 1971, 9,439 in 1981, 11,656 in 1991. In 2001, however, the population dwindled to 4,858. At present, there are 1,206 Koraga families residing on 225 Koraga colonies,” she listed out.

“The sex ratio in 2001 census was 986 females for every 1,000 males, but, it has reduced to 973 females for every 1000 males in 2011. From August 2011 to May 2016, a total of 448 Koraga community members have utilised health care facilities in 10 hi-tech hospitals in Dakshina Kannada. A sum of Rs 87.63 lakh was spent for the work,” the coordinator added.

Sreevidya said that she has received complaints on Koraga families selling nutritious food like rice, cooking oil, ghee and chickpea. The facilities given by the government should not be misused, she told the Koraga community leaders.