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POLAVARAM BARRAGE AND TRIBALS: A NOTE
K. Thimma Reddy
The proposed construction of Polavaram barrage on the Godavari river for irrigation in East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts and water supply to the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant through Eleru reservoir will have tremendous effect on the tribal groups in the Godavari valley. The area of submergence stretches on either bank of Godavari from Polavaram to Kunta and also includes areas in the river systems of Sabari and Kinnerasani. The submergence area falls under 50 metre contour line.
A team of scholars from Anthropology, Archaeology, Geo-engineering faculties of Andhra University and Deccan College, Poona carried out a survey of all the villages in the submergence area. The features taken up for study included traditional ethnics and cultural ecology besides Geology, Soil types, Bio-climate, Vegetation, Historical back ground, archaeological evidence etc.
The team identified about 120 very common tree and plant spices. This include a variety of edible plants, trees yielding minor forest produce and of commercial value.
Koyas, Koyadoras and Konda reddis are the important tribal groups inhabiting this part of the Godavari valley. There are about 250 settlements with in the submergence area. These settlements are single tribe, multi tribe, multi caste settlements. Exclusive settlements of Koyas are about 57, Konda Reddi 22, Vada balija 2. Koyanayaka 1. Kondakammara 1. Koyadoras 1. Adi Andhra (SC) 4. There are also multi caste villages numbering about 22. These are mostly located around Bhadrachalam, Kunavaram etc. There are also tribal and multi caste villages. Mixed house h olds of Koyas and multi caste number about 40, while Konda Reddies and multi caste are 10 in total. Besides these two or three tribal groups inhabiting the same village are also found. We found in several villages a few households of other communities from the plains. They state that they are there temporarily as such they do not constitute the population of the village. Some settlements with a few tribal households constitute the remaining settlements.
The above account amply proves the predominance of Koyas, followed by kondareddis in the submergence area, and intrusion of multi caste population into the tribal villages. The exclusive multi caste villages in the open country in the tribal area have certain roots since long, perhaps from late medieval or British period.
The triaditional ethnics inhabiting this region; the Koyas, Kondareddis, Koyadoras etc. adopted to mountain ecosystem, Koyadoras etc. adopted to mountain ecosystem. Their settlements are located on either side of the Godavari, on alluvial flats, low hills and also at high altitudes.
Geo-ecological studies (inter-relationship between human and biological features of life zones) in Eurasia and other mountainous regions have shown a vertical pattern to environmental and human diversity in mountainous areas. In other words, the mountainous and difference in productivity are reflected in the relationship between vertical zones and population density. The altitude, climate and soil fertility set upper limits on types of crops and pastoralism.
When we look at the Godavari valley from this angle we find that the Koyas, Koyadoras and Kondareddis inhabiting the environment of the Eastern ghats exploit various vertical life zones which offer distinct resources.
The alluvial flats and foot hill zones generally characterized by tropical black clays are suitable for plough cultivation. The tribals have been gradually adopting to this by cultivating the lands in the alluvial and colluvial flats on either side of the river systems. The middle and high altitudes, characterised by lithsols and tropical red ferruginous soils, are only suitable for shifting cultivation (Tribal traditional adaptation). They also offer a variety of big and small game, flora-fauna, different kinds of wild plant foods and other forest produce of commercial value. We have also observed goat pastoralism and piggery besides fishing in the ponds, streams and rivers. Thus the tribal groups in the Godavari valley in general and submergence area in particular can be termed as agro-pastoral.
Their subsistence strategies also include hunting, foraging and fishing. Kitchen gardens with beans, gourds, brinjal, chilli, yam etc. are a common sight in every village. Ragi, Bajra, Jowar, maiz, rice balck gram, redgram green gram, chilli, castor, tobacco, ground nut etc., are the principal crops grown by the tribals. But wherever the intruded multi caste house holds are found in the tribal villages, chilli, tobocco and cotton get preference and prominence. We have also noticed water being pumped from Godavari, in stages to even for off fields for growing cash crops like chilli and tobacco.
As to the land holdings and problem, the valley is no exception from the general phenomena of land alienation. Though we do not have an empirical data, a number cases of a tribal working as a labour in his own farm are not uncommon. What is surprising is that this phenomena of tribal land being exploited by non-tribals is talking place where the so called marxist, Leninist groups were active. We were also approached by tribals with strong appeal to restore their lands. Some of the intruders, the tribals say, could manage to get the certificate of ownership prior to 1917 with the connivance of the revenue officials.
The region figures in historical documents from 3rd certury A.D. onwords. Haiyayas (Ca 610 A.D.), Chalukyas (Ca 920 A.D.), Chalaukya-Cholas (Ca 1076 A.D.), Velanati Chodas (Ca 1120 A.D.) Kakatiyas (Ca 128-1323 A.D.), Reddies (1323-1450 A.D.), Gajapathis (Ca 1450-1513 A.D.), Rayas of Vijayanagara (Ca 1513- 1565 A.D.), Qutubshahis of Golconda (Ca 1565-1670 A.D.) ruled the area before East India company took over and which finally came under the British rule.
What is intriguing is that the area remained in isolation inspite of several dynastic rules over a long period. This observation is based on two factors, one, the absence of worth mentioning monuments of architectural glory of any of any of the above dynasties and the socio economic conditions including food producing technology, of the tribals inhabiting the valley, being primitive.
The problems that emerge out of the above description are many. But two of then demand our attention. One relates to the displacement and rehabilitation of Koyas, Koyadoras, Kondareddis while the second relates to the payment of compensation for the lands. The first problem calls for understanding the adaptive strategies and traditional behaviour of the tribal group inhabiting the valley. The tribals who are increasingly adopting plough agriculture and cultivation of cash crops are drawn into market economy. If ones the displacement takes place they may prefer, as they are adapted to mountainous environment, to move into the middle altitude beyond the 50 mts. contour line, rather than into new areas. If such would be the case, enough alluvial region for plough cultivation will not be available. They may get back to shifting cultivation. This would be retrogressive step as they are now getting into the main stream of modern society.
Considerable amount of land is under the control of non-tribals. In the case of payment of compensation, can the government take care that it reaches the tribals and not the enterprising caste population from outside?
Source: Displacement and rehabilitation of tribals in India with special reference to Andhra Pradesh, papers presented in the seminar organized from 14th to 16th Feb 1990 at NISIET in Hyderabad by Tribal Cultural Research and Training Institute, Hyderabad, Ed. By Dr. K Mohan Rao, Sri K.A.S. Hussain, and Smt. K.R. Vinaya Kumari, pp. 92-94, 1993, Tribal Cultural Research and Training Institute, Tribal Welfare Department, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad.
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