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Visakhapatnam: In Anakapalle district, members of the Gadaba tribe, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have launched a campaign demanding that the Kamula Gedda mini reservoir be officially recognised as a major irrigation tank within the Dharmavaram panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal.The Sri Pothuraj Babu Tribal Fishermen Cooperative Society, formed in 2022 by residents of old Dharmavaram and nearby villages, has been spearheading this effort. According to society president Gora Chiranjeevi, the government initially supported the community by supplying fish hatchlings. However, over the past four years, no hatchlings have been distributed, leading to a steep decline in fish production. As a result, many tribal fishermen have been forced to migrate to other districts in search of a livelihood.On August 11, the society lodged a formal complaint with the Anakapalle District Collector via the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS), requesting that Kamula Gedda be designated as a major irrigation tank. Following the complaint, irrigation officials inspected the site and confirmed that the reservoir spans 315.62 acres. Although the gram panchayat has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC), no action has yet been taken by the assistant director of fisheries in Narsipatnam, Chiranjeevi noted.“If Kamula Gedda is recognised as a major irrigation tank, we would become eligible for several government welfare schemes,” said tribal fishermen Siragam Arjun and Lavadu Erraiah. They urged the authorities to act swiftly and deliver long-overdue justice to the community.
