Until March last, members of the Konda Dora and Konda Reddi tribes had lived together in their ancestral habitation, Seetaram, in the Polavaram project submerged area in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district.
Later, many among the 70 families of the habitation had left for safer places fearing submergence, while others were rehabilitated in the Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Colonies.
While ploughing the fertile lands and raising crops were their avocation, celebrating the local festivals together was a part of their social fabric.
Due to its location on the banks of the Godavari, the habitation has abundant fish, which the tribesmen used to catch in the canal that passes through it.
But all that was history, as the deserted habitation had been submerged three times in the backwaters of the Godavari since July.
“Our habitation once bubbled with life. But now, our houses are home to fish that swim back from the river. I am trying to erase my association with the river and the habitation from memory and move on,” said Muttavada Ramesh Reddi, whose was the only family that belonged to the Konda Reddi tribe in the habitation.
A majority of the families that once lived at Seetaram belonged to the Konda Dora tribe. They survived on raising crops such as paddy, maize and cereals. They used to go for ‘podu’ cultivation, under which forest was cleared to raise crops.
When this correspondent visited Seetaram on September 15, scores of displaced tribal people were seen thronging it to catch fish from the submerged habitation which was once their home.
The youth who were fishing hailed from the affected habitations such as Nagulappali, Seetaram, Ganugulagudem, Gangapalem, Dandangi, Moolapadu, Veeravaram, Penikilapadu, China Ramanyya Peta, and Gubbalampalem.
They were seen catching fish using earthworms as a bait.
“I have been waiting for a dwelling under the R&R package, which is yet to be sanctioned due to an error in my father’s identity card,” Mr. Ramesh Reddi told The Hindu. At present, he lives in a rented house in a nearby habitation.
“While the fish could find a new habitat in the submerged Seetaram, it is uncertain when will I get my permanent home,” rues Mr. Ramesh Reddi.
