SRIKAKULAM: Tekkala Nagaraju, a 55-year-old fisherman who lost his livelihood under the impact of Covid-19, was in for more trouble after the heavy rains six months ago severely damaged his house. His repeated requests to the authorities for a new house under a government scheme fell on deaf ears, and he was forced to live under a tree, come rain or shine.
Nagaraju, of Devunaltada village in Srikakulam district’s Vajrapukotturu mandal, has been living alone since his wife died and children migrated. With no house either, his life turned miserable until the local youngsters noticed his plight. They decided to build him a low-cost house with an asbestos roof, and pooled in Rs 30,000 for this.
“Nagaraju approached the officials seeking shelter in the village several times. Vexed with their poor response, he approached some youngsters in the village. When the issue was brought to our notice, we immediately decided to build a structure for him to live in,” said Chinta Murali, who helped construct the house.
Nagaraju’s children left him in the village and migrated outside the State, Murali said, adding that there was no one to look after the fisherman. “Thanks to these youngsters, I am now able to sleep under a roof,” said Nagaraju. They even gave the fisherman essential supplies for the next two months. “I lost my source of income due to the lockdown, but these supplies will help me survive till the situation improves,” Nagaraju said.
“We have been involved in social service in the villages of Vajrapukotturu mandal. We earlier pooled in Rs 10,000 to construct a house for a victim of the heavy rains, Saini Damayanti, of Saninivanipeta,” Murali told TNIE.