CHINNAGOLLAPALEM (KRISHNA): While lack of proper medical facilities and transport services seems to be a familiar problem in remote villages, Chinnagollapalem in Krittivennu mandal in Krishna district appears to be a worst case scenario.
Chinnagollapalem is a village surrounded by the Upputeru or 'Salt Stream' on three sides and sea on the other. With a population of 17,000 people, the village has no Primary Health Centre (PHC). In case of an emergency, villagers have to take a country boat to cross the Upputeru and either rush to Lakshmipuram in Krishna district which 15 kmlong travel to Bhimavaram in West Godavari which is 20 km away, for medical assistance or aid.
And, if the weather condition is unstable, the rivulet became nonnavigable and hence, have to remain on the island without any medical aid. Such is the situation of Chinnagollapalem villagers, heartrending and helpless.
Even when the state boasts of several development activities in the villages, this village stands marooned by elected representatives and district administration officials too.
According to Madhavi, a medical officer at a PHC in a nearby village of Lakshmipuram, she and another doctor Suseela used to visit Chinnagollapalem once a month to check the inmates of social welfare hostels and also as part of Jawahar Balala Arogya Rakshana scheme.
Health officers often complain of the horrendous journey from Lakshmipuram to Padatadika on the battered roads and then journey through water from to reach Chinnagollapalem.
Villagers' Woes
An old woman, Lakshmamma, crosses the river with her grandchild in country boat and expresses her distress over the hardships the villagers face on a daily basis.
Revu Mutyala Raju, a villager of Chinnagollapalem, had lost his sister and six other friends due to lack of medical facilities. A son of a small farmer, Mutyala Raju treaded a different path which many of his villagers wouldn't have imagined and topped the 2006 IAS examination.
After becoming an IAS officer, he spoke to the then Chief minister of AP late YS Rajasekhar Reddy about the lack of facilities in his village, after which the state government had promised construction of bridge over the Upputeru River from Padatadika to Chinnagollapalem.
Expressing concern over the lack of medical facilities, Mallavolu Jannadham, 60, says the village also lacks drinking water facility. Another villager, Anara Srinu, says no one visits him because there are no transport services.
He adds that if unstable weather conditions prevail, the only mode of transport, through the country boat, will be cut off.
Other Problems
The lack of facilities is compelling many Chinnagollapalem villagers to migrate to other places in search of livelihood. As a result, the population has now dipped to 17,000, adds K Hanumantha Rao, former sarpanch of the village.
Hanumantha Rao says, apart from the existing problems, the island also faces a threat of land erosion. "The village which was earlier spread across 6000 acres of land has now sunk to 5000 acres due to erosion," Rao concludes.
Bridge Works
In 2010, minister Galla Arunakumari laid the foundation for construction of bridge across Upputeru rivulet at the cost of `23.13 crore.
Currently, the construction works of the bridge are going on at snail pace. But, officials say that the bridge would be completed by January 2012.
Road Works
With the initiative of Pedana MLA Jogi Ramesh, an 9 kmlong internal road was laid at the cost of `4 crore in Chinnagollapalem village, that falls in Pedana assembly constituency.
