Andhra Pradesh

A retreat to the sylvan solitude in the offing

A Kondareddi woman with her child.

BHADRACHALAM: The primitive tribal group of Kondareddies is facing an uncertain future. Rehabilitated down the hills under an ambitious project almost a decade ago, they began to look back once again to their hilltop habitations with fond hope.

A retreat from the mainstream is in the offing for many of them as the threat of submergence under the Polavaram (Indirasagar) project looms large on their lives. But a majority of them prefer not to leave the forest fringes.

The Kondareddies enjoyed the spotlight because of their fast dwindling numbers. As per a latest study their population scattered in some 72 habitations, dropped to 9,853. A good number of them have been brought down the hilltops. As they just through the challenging process of settling down, they were asked to be ready for yet another shift. The houses built for them and the lands allotted in the plains are all not of permanent nature.

The project, in fact, spelt the end of their dream time for some 27 families rehabilitated near Bandaruguem in Kunavaram mandal. They families living in the colony were all from Karumanukonda, Nallamanugondi and a few other high altitude villages.

It took many years for them to give up their traditional practices of the lifestyle in sylvan solitude. They were given two acres of land each on the banks of Sabari river. Some 20 houses were built for them with facilities such as free power and water supply.

But change is a difficult process for people who live for ages in the wild. Many failed to adjust to the life in the plains. Ondla Swarnakka had lost her husband after entering into the new habitation. Many had similar experiences.

They are under impression that change always costs some thing. Hence they are reluctant to move away from the village. What may come, I will stay here, says Swarnakka. A 70 year old Kondla Bhumulamma says the official promised us compensation. But money cannot help revive our fortune.

The place they had shown near Bhairapatnam for building the rehabilitation colony is no good. We need to be either in the forest or at least on the fringes of it.

Our main source of livelihood is the minor forest produce. Once the forest is under the project water, were will be devoid of the beedi-leaf, the bamboo, gum and all other forest produce that fetch money for us, she said.

Bandla Mangi Reddy, a youth who came down the hill top of Karumanukonda, says half the families were ready to go to the hill top. What we miss by leaving the plains could only be the television set the ITDA gave us.

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