NALGONDA : Residents of Mudimanikyam village, on the border with Andhra Pradesh, are now finding it easier than ever to cross into the neighbouring state from Nalgonda district in Telangana with water levels in the Krishna River touching an all-time low.
Mudimanikyam is a tiny village in Adavidevulapalli mandal, with a population of about 1,500. It is about 75 km from Nalgonda district headquarters. Thus the nearest village providing employment opportunities is Gottimukkala in Macherla mandal of Andhra Pradesh.
Approximately 15 to 25 villagers cross the river on a daily basis for employment in cement factories and agricultural fields.
Usually, the villagers have to take a country boat or use the tail pond bridge to drive to reach Gottimukkala village on their two-wheelers or autos. Now that the river’s once-raging waters have reduced to a trickle due to the drought, they simply pull up their clothes knee-high and cross the river.
Narasaiah, a resident of Mudimanikyam, said that Gottimukkala is barely 500 metres from his village, as the crow flies. “We would have to pay Rs 30 for the country boat, but we now walk across the river,” he said.
However, the parched landscape has reshaped their reality, compelling them to tread cautiously through the shallows of the Krishna River, their strides echoing the resilience born of necessity.
A Rajumallu said that at some places, the water is deep and so they have to tread very carefully. Navigating the unpredictable depths of the river demands vigilance and adaptability, he said.
As the tail pond bleeds into the river, offering a fleeting reprieve from the arid expanse, the villagers press onward, their determination unwavering.
In the absence of a deluge to quench the thirst of the land, they forge ahead, their footsteps marking a silent testament to the resilience of rural life amidst the ebb and flow of nature’s whims.