Andhra Pradesh

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Overview

It is surprising that fluoride was found even in surface water bodies like ponds, because fluoride is generally found in deep aquifers. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral in the deeper layers of rock beneath the earth's surface, so it was unusual to find it at such high levels even in surface water sources, leading to the conclusion that intensive agriculture in the area has spread the fluoride to the surface.

With 49 per cent of the total irrigation from groundwater, the state of Andhra Pradesh accounts for 5.3 per cent of the net groundwater irrigated area in the country.

Introduction

 SEDS approached Arghyam to seek advice on the quality of drinking water in the area. Anantpur is the second most drought-prone area in India, and a lot of work has been done to deal with the water supply situation by the Government of Andhra Pradesh as well as NGOs and charities such as SEDS and the Sai Baba Trust, to name a few. There seems to be an adequate supply of water in the district, but very little or no attention has been paid to the quality of water.

This report by Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty and World Bank deals with Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture (CMSA) in Andhra Pradesh.  The paper also analyses the initial results of economic and environmental impact of CMSA, distills the key lessons learned from the Andhra Pradesh experience, and draws possible implications for future.

To address the adverse impacts of green revolution, the alternative approach to manage agriculture i.e., CMSA is being tested and practiced in the State. The CMSA approach replaces the use of chemical pesticides with a combination of physical and biological measures—including eco-friendly bio-pesticides—and complements it by adopting biological and agronomic soil fertility improvement measures leading to reduced use of chemical fertilizers.

The sustainable development and management of the resource requires precise quantitative assessment based on valid scientific principles. The updated Groundwater Estimation Committee methodology – 1997 has been used and detailed guidelines were formulated through discussions and deliberations in the State Level Groundwater Estimation Committee.

Groundwater conditions in the multi-aquifer system in the delta, were studied through an integrated approach using hydrochemical, hydrogeological and isotopic techniques. This study was taken up because of the reported seawater intrusion into the groundwater system of this agriculturally rich region.

 Most of the people threatened to be displaced cannot be relocated until their rights over forestland are recognized under the Forest Rights Act. How did the Andhra Pradesh government meet this immense challenge? It quietly told the Union environment and forests ministry that all claims have been settled.

The ministry gave forest clearance to the project last year. Now over 50 villages have written to the ministry, saying their forest rights have not been settled. Richard Mahapatra visited the villages and found the state had indeed lied.

Following similar complaints, the ministry had scrapped Vedanta’s proposal to mine Niyamgiri hills and withheld forest clearance to the POSCO steel plant in Odisha. Will it apply the same yardstick to Polavaram?

Residents of Teladibbalu did not know they had forest rights. The village is in the dam’s submergence zone and accessible only by boat. (Photo: G Srinivas).