Tirupati: Villagers moving to makeshift homes in fields

Tirupati: The Covid pandemic which is playing havoc countrywide is spreading even to remote rural areas.

In Chittoor, the deadly virus spread to all the mandals turning the district into a hotspot. With the latest development of surge in cases in rural areas, five families living in two villages in Peddapanjani mandal made their fields as home to keep themselves away from the virus.

The families of Mallikarjuna Reddy, M Venkataramana and Eswaraiah left their houses in Sivadi village in Peddapanjani mandal to the makeshift houses in their fields, a km away from the village about three weeks ago. These families are now living in sort of isolation amidst lush green fields with no human contact from outside.

When contacted by The Hans India, Mallikarjuna Reddy said, "All our family members keep themselves busy in taking care of their horticulture crops like vegetables and tomato and graze the cattle during day time. They have milch animals which help them in getting some revenue through the sale of milk. We have resolved to remain here till the pandemic is over," he said.

They had planned pretty well and have stocked necessary essentials for month and if needed we will seek help of some of their friends to get replenishment of the stocks. They don't have to buy milk form outside and all this helps them in having no contact with outsiders.

Eswaraiah beamingly said that thanks to corona he got an opportunity to live amidst green fields. That's the positive side of the pandemic for him.

It is learnt that there are some more families like that of C Venkata Swamy living in Sankara Royalpeta also moved to a makeshift home in the fields and others who have left the villages and shifted to the fields and converted cattle sheds and other such small sheds there as their temporary homes.