Villages ‘vanish’ due to drought

Anantapur: Vengannagaripalli, a village in Rayalaseema region, lies abandoned due to severe drought conditions and continuous crop failures.

At least 11 persons lost their lives in feuds in the hamlet in Mudigubba mandal of Anantapur district. It is now wearing a desolate look after families migrated to urban areas looking for alternative means of livelihood. Previously, there were at least 400 houses in the village but now only 30 remain.

Vengannagaripalli is not an isolated case. Many villages in Anantapur district are in a deplorable condition after failure of groundnut crop and fall in groundwater table.

Lalachmapalli, a village with over 300 houses of Bandameedapalli panchayat in Rapthadu mandal, is left with just six families after inhabitants left the village in search of greener pastures. The six remaining families serve as mujavars in a Lada Saheb darga offering religious rituals. Out of the 300 families, about 60 are Muslims who have migrated to Anantapur, Bengaluru and other areas.

Interestingly, Chandra-yanapalli village of Mudigubba mandal disappeared and it is just in revenue records. A TD leader had bought about 500 acres, most of them unfertile, including the  houses. At least 80 families had migrated to Karnataka and Kerala two years ago unable to continue in agriculture.  Presently, the land is being developed for corporate farming by the TD leader.

Pipedu village in Kadiri area has just 25 families as more than 60 percent of them have migrated.

It’s mostly the aged folks and children who have stayed back. Others have migrated in search of construction works.

“Migrations are on the rise even in mandal headquarters,” said K. Anandaranga Reddy, vice-chairman of ADCC bank.