Date:21/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/21/stories/2008082152770300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Kolleru villagers’ tales of woe

G. Ravikiran

—Photo: Ch Vijaya Bhaskar

Villagers of Pandiripalligudem in the Kolleru lake area use a raft to sail through floodwater.

KOLLETIKOTA (Krishna district): For the first time in over 15 years, residents of villages situated in Kolleru lake area in Krishna district find their houses surrounded by floodwater for the last 20 days, even as they have lost their livelihood in the aftermath of removal of fish tanks in the name of obstructions as part of Operation Kolleru.

At Pandillapalligudem, Kolletikota and other villages, they find no work now due to lack of fish tanks and their drinking water sources have got spoilt because of floodwater that collected from agricultural drains in recent heavy rains. There is no sign of Kolleru receding in the near future, as inflows are nearly 1.2 lakh cusecs as against the outflow of 9,000 cusecs.

The elderly people are very vocal in blaming the government for their present woes, which they have never seen in their memory during their lifetime so far. Water has entered some houses, while sanitation has worsened. Fodder has to be brought by country-made rafts. There is no supply of kerosene and rice. “Ever since they destroyed fish tanks, we have lost our livelihoods. They have not shown anything for us to support our lives,” said Y. Trimurthulu to a team of reporters taken from Vijayawada by TDP MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao on Wednesday.

He said he used to make over Rs. 3,000 a month by working in a boat when there were fish tanks. An old woman wept inconsolably, as she recalled the hard days that began after demolition of obstructions.

Mr. Umamaheswara Rao faced a complaining crowd about their worsening living conditions when he visited, accompanied by local people’s representatives, a few lake villages. He demanded that the government pass on all benefits under Kolleru package to these villagers, widen the Upputeru outlet drain and lengthen the Pedayedlagadi bridge.

The MLA deplored the Krishna district ministers for not visiting the 26 villages that bore the brunt of floodwater in the lake.

Even District Collector Shailaja Ramaiyer and local revenue officials had failed to rise to the occasion and come to the rescue of lake residents, he said.