An uphill task awaits the officers on intensive household survey in the Bhadrachalam Agency as well as in the coal belt areas of the district as some practical difficulties may crop up during the gigantic exercise slated to be taken up on a single day – August 19.
The district administration is gearing up to undertake the exercise of surveying about 8,77,350 households by involving a total of 33,465 enumerators in 46 mandals including the seven Polavaram submergence-prone mandals, those merged with the residuary Andhra Pradesh. The survey teams have a tough task cut out for them in reaching out to Adivasis particularly those belonging to Konda Reddi tribe living atop hills and the island villages along the Godavari river course in Bhadrachalam and Palvancha divisions.
The task of conducting the household survey in temporary settlements of internally-displaced Gutti Koya Adivasis scattered mainly along the fringes of forests in the Bhadrachalam Agency bordering Chhattisgarh State appears to be tough.
Thousands of Adivasis of Gutti Koya tribe fled their homes in the strife-torn areas of Chhattisgarh State and took shelter in various temporary settlements in the Bhadrachalam Agency over the last several years.
Although the SCCL declared a holiday with pay on August 19, emergency staff meant for mine dewatering and safety measures in underground mines are likely to face difficulties in participating in the household survey.
The staff engaged in health and other emergency services cannot afford to remain at home from dawn to dusk waiting for the survey teams to come, remarks G. Ramaiah, district general secretary, IFTU. The government should allot a separate time slot for the emergency staff, he suggests.
The survey will cover all the households including the temporary settlements of Gutti Koya tribes, says K. Venkateshwarlu, RDO, Palvancha.
