The island villages of Nagayalanka are no less than heaven. Surrounded by water, the landscape dotted with colorful country boats, the air is filled with the strong aroma of seafood as women dry their catch on land and fishermen do their work. Still, not many people choose to visit or work in this paradise located near the Krishna River.
Edurumondi, far away from the mainland and surrounded by the Krishna river near Etimoga village, is an unnamed island panchayat in Nagayalanka mandal of Diviseema region. The panchayat, whose jurisdiction includes five villages, serves as the only gateway to the cluster of seven island villages – Edurumondi, Jinkapalem, Krishnapuram, Yesupalem, Golamanda, Brahmaiahgarimula and Nachagunta – which are located near the confluence of the Krishna River and the Bay of Bengal. Elachetladibba is part of another island, accessible via a country boat from Nachagunta.
The only connection between the island and the mainland is a punt (barge), a large mechanized boat with a carrying capacity of 25 tons. About 11,000 villagers, including labourers, families, students and government employees, depend on this single punt, which operates 22 times a day. Lack of infrastructure, facilities and clean drinking water is one of the many problems faced by these villages.
Villagers gathered for a meeting at Elachetladibba in Edurumondi panchayat of Nagayalanka mandal. , Photo Courtesy: GN Rao
unfulfilled demand
The demand for the bridge has been pending for more than three decades. “In 1990, former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao during his visit to Edurumondi had promised that a bridge would be constructed, but even after 35 years, the promise has yet to be fulfilled,” said C. Shivayya, a 55-year-old fisherman who lost his uncle in a boat accident in the 1990s.
Chief Ministers-Nara Chandrababu Naidu, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and YS Rajasekhar Reddy—who also visited the villages—made the same promise as late NT Rama Rao. He regretted that public representatives took note of the difficulties faced by villagers, especially during floods, but the bridge proposal was still on paper.
Tired and at a loss for words after a long journey to remote villages with poor road connectivity, staff at the only primary health center (PHC) at Edurumondi and the government school at Elachetladibba said the work is tiring and few people are willing to travel to these areas.
“Who would come to work in a remote location without proper road connectivity?” asks a medical worker on condition of anonymity. “If we miss a bet, we have to wait for more than an hour on the river bank for another ride. During floods, we have to stay in hospital for two-three days, as boat services are stopped to ensure the safety of passengers. At such times, we are cut off from the rest of the world,” said the medical staff.
The primary health center is the only major health facility with a doctor for all seven villages. Although there is a village health clinic in Nachagunta, the community health officer there only prescribes medicines. There is no ambulance in the PHC. Villagers depend only on punts, which operate at scheduled times, to go to the PHC or arrange for a country boat in case of an emergency.
PHC Medical Officer K. Rajeshwar Rao said that fortunately no case of death has been reported due to delay in getting the boat, but it is always difficult to reach the government hospital at Avanigadda on time, especially in cases involving the elderly and pregnant women. “It takes more than 30 minutes from here. First, we have to ask for help from the boat owner to carry the patient, then cross the river and then board the ambulance,” said Dr Rajeshwar Rao.
According to anecdotal information, more than 30 people lost their lives in a boat accident while crossing the river in the 1990s. According to various media reports, in 2003, 20 people lost their lives when a country boat capsized in the river and 19 others swam to safety.
After these incidents, there is fear among the local people. In 2003, under the Janmabhoomi Scheme of the then TDP government, contributions were made by the District Council, villagers and the Fisheries Department for the construction of a punt. According to village leaders, it was operational until 2017, although it was damaged during a typhoon and eventually closed. “When the villagers approached the government for another punt, their request was rejected for various reasons. Then, they approached my father, the then sarpanch of Edurumondi, who agreed to build a punt at a cost of ₹70 lakh,” said M. Venkat, owner of the lone punt.
Emphasizing the need for the bridge, Mr Venkat said, “Boating is extremely risky. It requires constant monitoring and repairs. During floods or whenever the flow downstream of the Prakasam barrage reaches three lakh cusecs or more, we are forced to stop services.”
This year alone, the barrage at Vijayawada experienced a flow of more than three lakh cusecs six times. According to information received from the AP State Disaster Management Authority, the first warning at the barrage (when the flow reached above 3.97 lakh cusecs) was given five times and the second was given once.
“As opposed to the 40 liters of diesel required on normal days, this increases to 100 liters during high flows. If the engines are switched off, the boat can be easily pulled into the sea by the water flow,” he said.
However, people continue to cross the river on pontoons or country boats during emergencies despite the risk due to unavailability of proper road infrastructure. “It is part of our lives now. Most of us know how to swim. So, floods do not scare us,” said a shopkeeper near the Edurumondi docking point.
The road leading to Jinkapalem was partially destroyed during the recent floods near Edurumondi in Nagayalanka mandal. , Photo Courtesy: GN Rao
bad roads
Due to the increasing frequency of floods in the Krishna River, temporary roads in these villages have suffered significant damage. Some said, the width of the river is increasing, while others said that tidal waves are intruding into their fields, which is a new phenomenon. The road to Jinkapalem has also been partially cut off by the flow of the river.
Every time it rains, it becomes difficult for people to use motorcycles or autorickshaws due to the absence of permanent roads. “In such cases, we walk to our destination,” said A., a laborer from Etimoga. Tulsi said. She goes to Jinkapalem to work in the paddy fields and walks 14 kilometers in both directions when it rains. Despite visiting the PHC once every 10 days for her body pain, she doesn’t complain about the bad roads. “It’s always been that way,” she says with disappointment.
Village leader Chennu Venkateswara Rao said that people here are so used to living without basic amenities that they do not consider its lack as problematic.
The three kilometer earthen track connecting Edurumondi and Nachagunta has been lying unpaved for 25 years. Krishna District Collector DK Balaji said that the proposal for the road is pending with the Forest Department. “This area comes under reserve forest, and we are in the process of identifying land for compensatory afforestation. Getting clearance from the forest department is a long process,” Mr Balaji said.
Regarding the bridge from Etimoga to Edurumondi, the Collector said proposals have been sent to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for coastal regulatory zone clearance.
Native boats stop at Elachetladibba, another island accessible only by native boat from Nachagunta. , Photo Courtesy: GN Rao
lack of drinking water
Village heads of Edurumondi said the proximity to the sea and the increase in intensive shrimp culture in the area have made the groundwater brackish and unfit for consumption.
An accredited social health activist (ASHA) said on condition of anonymity that the people of his village Jinkapalem depend on rain water for six months of the year. “They store rain water by tying a cloth at the bottom in a 50 liter drum to prevent the water from drying up and use it during summers,” he said. He said medical staff are raising awareness about boiling rain water before use.
Getting clean drinking water without salinity has always been a struggle for them. However, in the 1990s, communist leader M. Nagabhushanam provided a new lease of life to these villagers by providing a solution to their drinking water problem, as village elders recalled. Through the Addavipalem Lift Irrigation Scheme, water was lifted from a canal at Repalle in Bapatla district and supplied to these villages through underwater pipelines.
A reservoir was built on 100 acres at Edurumondi, from where fresh water was being supplied to these seven villages through tanks and pipelines. Venkateswara Rao said, “But, for the last ten years or more, due to improper functioning of the filter beds in the reservoir, the water supply was affected. Due to this people became dependent on borewells and sometimes rain water.”
An official acknowledged the issue, but said it was not very serious. “The reservoir water is being used for irrigation. Drinking water needs are being met from a borewell. The Rural Water Supply Department supplies borewell water to all seven villages after testing it for salinity for 90 minutes every day. But, since many people leave for work in the morning, they are not able to use it,” the official said.
Villagers allege that drinking borewell water supplied by the department has affected their health. Shivayya, an autorickshaw driver, said he had had some incidents of diarrhoea, vomiting and joint pain. The ASHA worker said that many people complained of knee pain. He said his family also collected rain water after the road to Yesupalem, where a hand pump is located, was damaged in the recent floods.
Health workers also noted that the water is salty and that most people in these island villages have developed skin infections due to using salt water for bathing.
Due to declining profits in the shrimp business and frequent damage to the paddy crop due to rain, many villagers have migrated to bigger cities in search of work. Only the elders are left. “Who will listen to us? Anyway, we must continue to fight for our rights, even if we are alone,” said Sivaiya, a fisherman.
