Adivasis in interior areas rely on streams for water

the Markaloddi gudem in deep forests in Sirpur ( U) mandal 

Streams, even if flowing at low intensity, are proving a died- hard source of water for Adivasis living deep in forests in interior areas in the district’s interior areas.

Ten Andh Adivasi families, with about 60 members in all , who have been living in the Markaloddi in Sirpur (U) mandal since a long time are quenching their thirst in this manner, said Tekam Dashwanth, a resident.

  

This community is somewhat more religious and they maintain isolation from other communities most of the time.   

“Water they fetch from the streams is tasteful as the water flows down from the hills , past may medicinal plants and their roots , thus becoming therapeutic,” he said.

There is no road connectivity, yet they don’t come out of that place as they are attached to it for peace and independence it offers them.

They go to Jainoor mandal headquarters for weekly shandy to buy their essential commodities, pointing out that they had never faced a threat from the forest animals though they move in this deep forest area even at night. 

Markaloddi remains unexplored territory ; going there gives the sense of entering a cave over a long distance and suddenly chancing upon a tiny village in the midst of the hills.

To reach the Markaloddi, one has to climb down hills, walk through hard terrain, take slippery twists and turns and cross rivulets. Visiting this place offers nature lovers, researchers, and journalists a refreshingly different experience.

Mana TS- Mana Vyavasayam to promote traditional crops

ITDA, Utnoor project officer R.V Karnan in Jowar fields 

The “Mana Telangana – Mana Vyavasayam” aimed to reduce the cotton cultivation and to promote alternative crops in the Telangana especially district like Adilabad.

The state government is going to recruit one Agriculture extension officer per  5,000 acres and will recruit 1,000 Agriculture extension officers from May.

The state government took the serious note of the huge loss in cotton cultivation and cotton farmers were more among the farmers committed suicide in the state.  

Training will be given to the selected farmers in cultivation of other crops like pulses, turmeric, sunflower, soya and vegetables.  

Minister for Forest and environment Jogu Ramanna said state government wanted to make the Agriculture profit- making, bring many changes and encourage organic farming on a big scale.

He said they were going to give top priority to the soil testing to improve the yield and they will introduce “Sanchara Boosara Parikshalu’ and farmers should avail the benefit of this mobile soil testing and cultivate crops according to their results of their soil.

From now onwards, Agriculture department will encourage traditional crops and rainfed crops like Jowar, maize, and sunflower instead cotton which is considered to be a water intensive crop.

The steep fall in the ground water table and prevailing successive drought conditions and low prices to the cotton in the international markets forced the state government to come out with an alternative action plan to tackle the agriculture crisis.