VRO in Cuddapah

Introduction:

Formerly part of the original Nellore Region, Cuddapah became an operationally seperate region in 1989 after heavy flooding of the usually dry Penna river. One of the very interior Indian Regions, known for its annual drought - problem, its barren hills, its single remaining nature reserve, and for its floor-stone production (cuddapah slabs), made it a marginal district, even though the home of a former Prime Minister.

With a population of scarcely 2 and half million, and an area the size of Scotland, Cuddapah's development has been slower than that of many neighbouring districts.

Its environmental physiology is distinct: a large hill surrounded central plain where the district head quarters are located, and towards the edges in all directions, slivers and outcrops of barren hills, - that leave one in doubt whether the "Nature Animal Reserve" has any game or fauna left.

Throughout most of the year the landscape is depressingly grey and dusty, the water level is very low in the wells, and very few industries, risign up in the neighbourhood of the few fastdeveloping market-towns. Large tracts of cooperative lands, to grow groundnuts, or melons, or the indigenous kind of sweet lime. The forest department - notices are visible in many places, but the results of the re-forestration efforts are difficult to find. Along the riverbed are a few oases of green ordinarily. Temples and villge churches abound, but chimneys and water-towers are very rare. Our work is mainly for the landless and dry land people.

The socio-cultural significance of the region derives mostly from the presence of tribal surviving cummunities and many more backward caste groups, with a very insecure life - pattren. At the same time, the most favoured caste-settlers indulge in very intense political rivalry, so that the region has a high incidence of political violence.

There are quite a number of mission-centres scattered in all directions, some of them very extensive, and traces there are also of cooperative experiments, that seem in many cases to hve gone bankrupt. In all there are more than 10,000 villages and some 3,000 primary schools, 228 higher secondary and 70 colleges.

It is an area with foreseeable significance not only within the VRO frame work but also on the State-level. The concentration of the Forest-department may lead to remaking the district a worthwhile wildlife reserve again. Similarly the growth of the coolie-sangams in the district has been unique in central India: Wage Justice has improved. At the same time the region is a bridge area to further waiting districts specifically Kurnool and the Chittoor districts, from where regularly strong appeals reach us.

The main - problem in the region is of course the water-problem, both for drinking water and for irrigation water to increase field productivity. A part of the Telugu-Ganga canal (reaching the Krishna water to Madras) passes through the district, and should help villages too, as well as the forest-improvement efforts of Government and people.

As in other regions, too the future depends on the availability and motivational equality of the villages to supply animator - volunteers willign to identify with them in their need.

Historical overview of the VRO in the region:

With only 7 years of history, the Cuddapah region's service record is in its initial stage in more than one way. Even so, significant development has been achieved on several fronts:

1989

  • Our Service base was started at M.P.S.S premises, Cuddapah with Fr.Peter Daniel and Mr.Raghunathan.

1990

  • The Sanjeeva Nagar and R.C. Puram Village building programme was started. The Community Child Care Programme was started in 2 Villages.

1991

  • The Muttukur Village building programme was started and 2 villages inaugurated

1992

  • Our service base was shifted from MPSS to an SBI colony quarters in an upstaris flat.
  • The Agraharam and Thotlapalli Village building programme were started.

1993

  • The Jandlavaram village building programme was started after 2 years of preparation.
  • Micro Programmes were initiated in 13 villages.
  • Land was purchased for our own service base in Cuddapah town.
  • The Pagadala Palli and papireddy Palli village building programme was started.

1994

  • 7 acres of land were donated near Arogyanagar in the Badvel Circle for a service base, BPTC Centre and plant forestry programme.
  • A Handi Capped festival was organised with 900 hndicapped people Casa near Porumamilla.
  • The drinking water programme survey was conducted and started in 13 villages.
  • The joint forest management programme was started in Jandlavaram and P.P.Kunta with the Government assistance.
  • Thotlapalli Village inaugurated (74 families)

1995

  • Village Learning Programme was taken over from a local parish priest of Karunagiri at Jandlavaram.
  • Women workshops started in two villages ( Sanjeevanagar + Agraharam )
  • Sunflower seeds project with special machinery were given to the Agraharam village with Swiss aid.
  • New area surveyed towards Nandyala in Kurnool district.

1996

  • In February Miss.Christina, SWIVRO visited the region with her team members.
  • March - work on the new service centre building was commenced and completed in December.
  • Heavy Floods effected again the region we visited and surveyed 38 villages.

1997

  • January - Girls BPTC Building work started and BPTC Trainees Survey started in Thotla Palli Area.
  • March - New Service Centre Building Work completed.