Visakhapatnam: Unidentified disease plagues these villagers

• Swollen legs, palpitation, blisters all over the body and stomach pain are the health issues faced by the villagers

• The unusual health complication experienced by the villagers came to light following the death of five persons in the hamlet

• Very recently another 20 villagers affected by similar symptoms have been admitted to the KGH for treatment

Visakhapatnam: Quenching their thirst with safe drinking water is a distant dream for Karakavalasa villagers of Rompili panchayat.

Non-availability of potable water is forcing them to fetch water from the muddy stream.

They have no clue how a healthy meal tastes. Following years of consumption of unsafe water and unhealthy food, those residing at Karakavalasa hamlet suffer from unidentified disease.

Swollen legs, palpitation, blisters all over the body and stomach pain are some of the symptoms the villagers are plagued with in the recent past.

The unusual health complication experienced by the villagers came to light following the death of five persons in the hamlet.

Very recently, another 20 villagers were affected with similar symptoms. When the locals raised an alarm, the officials concerned shifted them to the King George Hospital here for treatment.

Currently, three more persons are reported to be suffering from the same health complication in the hamlet.

Those who are providing treatment to the villagers mentioned that lack of safe drinking water and nutritious food led to anemia and kidney problems among them. "However, there is nothing to worry as they are under close supervision. Two more weeks of treatment will help them overcome their health problem which mainly developed due to unhealthy food habits," says P V Sudhakar, Superintendent of KGH.

Poor quality of life pushed the inhabitants of Karakavalasa into extreme poverty. With many of them being unemployed, they could not afford even one square meal a day, leave alone healthy food. The outbreak of coronavirus pandemic has only worsened their condition.

Tribal activists demand the government to extend support to the people of Karakavalasa. "Since they have no farmland to engage in cultivation and no other job to feed their families, the government should extend support to the tribals by providing 50 kg of rice, dal and other essentials to the families. The officials concerned should take steps to provide basic amenities such as potable water facility, help them get enrolled for Aadhaar cards which most of the villagers do not possess and power supply, among others," says K Govinda Rao, member of Fifth Schedule Practice Committee Andhra Pradesh Tribal Association.