Livelihoods Enhancement Action Plan (LEAP)

Bhimulavaari Palem LEAP

Village at a Glance

Bhimulavaripalem is 3 kms from Arambakam (Tamilnadu). It is well connected with Tadamandal. The village doesn't have RTC bus services; most of them use autos which are always available.

The village is situated 3 kms away from the Tamilnadu(State), but the village is belongs to Andhra Pradesh(State) where people are go to chennai for the livelihoods (labor work). The village is situated near to the back waters of the Pulicate lake. The village people are depends on the Pulicate lake for sake of livelihoods and most of the people has depends on the fishery.

As soon as one enters the village, one can feel that it is a poor village and B.C colony got houses through Indira Kranthi Padakam, but In S.C colony most of the people has huts only. The village has one main road and six small lanes with few street lights; S.C colony hasno street lights. The village there is main road with tar road and street roads with cement are connected with main road. The village has an anganwadi, MPUP School and few petty shops. Most of children are going to Tamil school at Arambakam, Tamilnadu.

Village History and Time Line:

Twenty years back very few people were came to the village. The people depend on Pulicate lake for their livelihood. They have lot of stamina,that is why the village is called Bhimulavaripalem. The village is very nearest to the one Island (irukkam).The village is far from the city.The people are facing lot of problems including thieves’ problems.

The villagers catch fish in Pulicate lake and theyhave to travel for long distance to sell the fish, so some time fish spoiled or they may not get consumers for the fish. Most of the people have huts only, if any heavy rain or cyclone is happens, the water comes into their huts, in that time some house fall down. They suffered a lot in that time. They did not have much income sources.

The Government issued the lands under scheme of the Indira Kranthi Padham. Some people (B.C) people got the house and also got the agriculture land. The land is not viable to the people because the village is situated to nearest to the sea. So, the crops productivity is less in that lands because of sea salt water. At present majority of the people is doing the fish business. There is one middle man who is purchasing the fishes from the fishermen and sells it in the town.

1 a Social Map

The Bhimulavari palem exists in the left side of the highway which goes from Thada to Thamilnadu. There is a big road to the village and ends at Pulikat lake. There are both cement and mud roads in the roads in the village. The entrance of the village the higher caste people, the middle of the village muslims, BCs and the end of the village SCs are situated. There are total 6 small roads and 10 small streets.

In the middle of the village, there exists a waste land. Though there are Subabul treesbut those trees not belongto the villager’s. Villagers get work because of these subabul trees. The SC people belong to the Hindu and Christian religion.

Housing:

Total 596 families are living in the village and 413 houses have situated. Few houses arewhere combined families live at one house. 89 of these houses are pucca houses (slab roofs) and remaining 68 are huts.

Village has only few toilets, everybody has to go to the outskirts of the village for nature’s call. Even these outskirts are not very conducive for the purpose as it is not specifically marked for this purpose, as is in most villages. This is a matter of concern especially for women and girls.

Roads:

Approach road to thevillage is tarred approach road, which starts from Chennai national highway, streets has connected with cement roads. And there is no RTC bus service.

Electricity:

All most houses have electricity for lighting and there are street lights in the village, some street lights (especially in S.C colony) aren’t working, and nobody is taking care of these.

Communications:

There are 350 cell-phones in the village, telephone coin boxes is there; over 250 families have TV with cable connections. They get FM radio channel from chennai radio station. Newspaper is also available; mostly they are using Tamil language.

Drainage Systems / Garbage:

Village has no drainage systems. Water waste from kitchen and washing clothes and utensils is left out on the road. As there are no toilets, there is no question of sewage pits.

Water:

There are 100 water taps for the entire village, which are connected to a water tank in the village and also 6 hand pumps are there. As the water supply is not regular, tap water is used only for cooking and drinking, other needs. Very few people is used to drink mineral water, they are getting from Arambakam. The water comes to water tank from Tada mandal

Market yard:

There is no shandy (Santa) process in the village. There are three petty shops that sell small eatables for children, shampoos, soaps and cigarettes. One shop also sells vegetables. They go to Arambakam and Tada to buy groceries and other regular needs of the family. They go every week for these purchases. They have to go to Chennai for all the big purchases and even for medicines.

Medicines for fishes, manure for fish ponds and other things needed for fish cultivation. An agent will come to collect the fishes that need to be sold.

Transportation:

There is no RTC bus service. Only auto service is available. Villagers depend on autos for most of their travel requirement; it costs a person 5 rupees to travel one side. Only four autos belong to villagers, but many vehicles are from Tada. This is an indicative that villagers move to and from village often. Few people have (less than 50) bikes and most of them have bicycles. 6 members have tata sumos, and 100 boats are there.

Cultural Events / Fairs and Festivals:

In that village has 7 temples those are Chilliyamma, karumariyamma, Angaleswary, Periyapariyath and Drowpathi, the village is specially celebrated the Chilliyamma festival in the month of July, And also celebrated the femingo bird festival in the month of February, because femingo birds comes to the Pulicate lake, while as all nearest places ( Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh) people comes to the village for visit to the birds, when the village is conducted boats competitions to the entrainment for the visitors . And other festivals also like Dasara and Deepavali are celebrated the villagers. Christmas, Ramjan are celebrated by Christian, Muslim families. There are 7 temples, 1 church and 2 masjids are there.

Age boys girls

0-6m 9 3

6m-1y 27 17

1y-3y 46 45

Total pregnant women: 14;

Lactating mothers: 10

Primary school: in the village -

1st to 7th: 57students (Telugumedium Government school)

1st to 7th:300 students (Tamil schools)

High school Arambakam village 3km.

Agriculture

Agricultural cooperative societies:Agriculture market Arambakam

Transport

R.T.C bus facility No

Main transportation Auto

Bus station Thada

Railway station Thada

Others

Library Available within the village

Post office Karur

Panchayat office There is no any building, but they gather under a big tree.

PHC Not available

School building 1 MPUP, 1 anganwadi

Community hall No

Temples 7 Temples

Church 2 Churches

Education:

Village has one anganwadi and an MPUP school., there are total 57 children studying in this school from class 1st to 7th out of these 57, 36 are girls and 21 are boys. The school is in the village itself and in a big building in good condition, but no play ground (as it is in the middle of the village). The school programs are under Serva Shiksha Abhyan. Children have to go to Tada for high school and college education and technical education. Most of the children have gone to Tamil school, which is located at Arambakam and Chennai go for college education.

There are private schools in Arambakam, Tada 50% of the children from the village go to these private schools.

Health and Sanitation:

An ANM has been appointed to provide health service however she comes once in a while. RMP doctor is also available he is only first point of contact for small ailments as they give medicines for general ill- health like fever and others.

For any other illness that require special attention and hospitalization they have to come to Arambakam situated 3 kms away from the village or to Tada which is 10 kms away. Otherwise they have been going to chennai.

Waste land is there, where the villagers are used go to the toilets, most of the people don't have toilets, thats why they suffering from different type diseases like malaria, diarea , viral fiver, and etc. Some people used to eat spoiled fish, while as they got illness.

Villagers shared that there are 2 TB patients and around 10 physically challenged people in the village. And also 2 HIV positive persons are there.

Health Services

A.N.M available in the village

R.M.P available in the village

Government hospital No

Private hospital No

Nursing home No

Veterinary clinic Thada

Availability of Human Resources:

Anganwadi teacher is good and active. Other than these there is an RMP doctor and school teachers who could be potential change agents. Students are doing their degree and PG.

Most of the adult women have only 100 days of labour in the NREGA fields. They are not involved in fishing, but they involved in business of fishing. These many women are potential resources who could be gainfully employed to improve family’s income. 45 Women SHGs are existing in this village.

2. Resource Map

Resource map: Analysis: Total land is 73 acres. It is a sandy land. So paddy and groundnut are the suitable crops. It is a crop a year. So many people dependent on Pulikat Lake. Catching fishes and prawns are the main livelihood. Group of some fishermen is called Kuppam. There are 21 kuppams in each village. There is a good relation between kuppams. But all are abide by the rules and reglations. The group will decide when and who will go for fishing. If any mistake done by the fisherman he will get punish according to the group rules.

1 b. Indicate the Gaps and significant changes occurred in cropping pattern / practices in recent past From RESOURCE MAP

The village has 39 acres of cultivation land, but it is only dry land, the crops are not giving good productivity, because the water is very salty. Yearly once only they get the products of paddy and ground nut. Most of the people are depends up on fishing, when they are formed as groups, locally they are called ‘kuppams’ in that village has 21 kuppams, all are cooperate together, before enter into the lake. Sometimes they quarreled between the groups, when they avoid to fishing, while as they faced financial problems. Once they enter into the lake and see for the fishing, they are stay in nearly 21 days, while as, perhaps heavy rain and cyclone is happens, they are faced dangerous situations. Few persons are death in water.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

1.

Name: Jagadamba, w/o.Chandran

Children: 4 members,

Total Family members: 6

Occupation: wage labour

Observing the income and expenditure of the Jagadamba family, the family is wage labour. Four children and two adults can easily eat three to four kages of rice daily because usually poor eat rice only in four times a day in that manner they have to spend more on rice or other grains like bajra, jowar and ragi which are lower at cost and highly nutritious. They spend four thousand per year on festivals. If they spend less on festivals and more on their food they can get sufficient nutrition. Education expenditure is as equal as the food expenditure. It shows education is the costliest thing which poor are not able to catch it.

2.

Name: G. Dayalan

No. of family members: 6

Occupation:watchman

3.

Name:Kodi Ravi

Family members:4

Children:2

Occupation:

Gaps: Gudumba, cosmetics, chappals, soaps expenditure can be reduced.

• Fishing is the primary livelihood to the people. Because of less fish in the sea lagoon, they are not able to catch much fish. As a result the income to the family has reduced.
• They have very limited land of cultivation.
• Alternate livelihood opportunities like factories or mining etc are not available
• Agriculture is another important livelihood, as fishing is more lucrative, lots of agricultural lands are being converted to fish farms which are a concern. Because of the fish cultivation, fertility of land to grow paddy is decreasing.
• Available human resources (adult women, educated youths) are not being involved in income generation activities.
• Their fishing is confined to fish ponds and sea lagoon only. They have not explored possibility of fishing in the deep sea. They don’t have skills and capital to venture into deep sea fishing

Traded in and out: