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Agonies of the aboriginals
Gutti Koyas, an aboriginal ethnic group inhabiting in the thick forest areas in Mulugu and surrounding areas, are wheezing for want of water as rivulets, streams and other sources of water have already dried out, apparently due to the early advent of summer.
Mulugu: Gutti Koyas, an aboriginal ethnic group inhabiting in the thick forest areas in Mulugu and surrounding areas, are wheezing for want of water as rivulets, streams and other sources of water have already dried out, apparently due to the early advent of summer.
They are trekking several kilometers to fetch a pail of water to quench their thirst in the sizzling summer sun. They have to go all the way to a leaking pipeline of Devadula project detected five km away from their habitat to bring water.
While water crisis looms large on the hamlet, causing untold miseries to the indigenous clan, their young ones are going to work along with their parents as there is no school in the vicinity to provide them education.
Ironically, Manukola Lok Sabha member Sitaram Naik’s native place – Mallayyapalli – is just a few km away from their settlement, but no people’s representative or the government official bothered to provide amenities to them.
Potter Kumaraswamy of Venkatapuram mandal demanded that the State government extend benefits to them under various welfare schemes.
He said Bandlapahad was a revenue village, but it was deserted because of the outbreak of cholera.
A Gutti Koya tribe member, Gangaraju, appealed to the government to issue ration cards to them, schooling facility for their wards and medical and health amenities.
These tribals migrated from Chhattisgarh 15 years ago because of the ongoing tussle between Maoists and the police and settled down in Bandlapahad village on the outskirts of Adavirangapuram in Venkatapuram mandal of Mulugu Division of Jayashankar Bhupalapalli district.
A potter, Kumaraswamy, helped them settle down in Bandlapahad when the forest officials torched their huts built in the forest area near Adavi Rangapuram. He also helped them acquire Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards.
But the tribe members, who eke out a living by engaging themselves as labourers in neighbouring villages, demand potable water and schools for their wards.
By Ch Subhash
