MODEL VILLAGE: Ariel view of Vedireswaram village which won the prestigious Nirmal Puraskar award. — Photo: S. Rambabu

Amalapuram: The picturesque Konaseema in East Godavari district, known for its scenic beauty and coconut groves, earned another feather in its cap by winning the prestigious Nirmal Puraskar. This year the Central Government chose two villages from Konaseema for the award which is a rare achievement.

The Byrraju Foundation of Amalapuram had adopted the two villages and the NGO set a new pace in shaping them. Vedireswaram of Ravulapalem mandal, which has also won many laurels in the past, is the first one, while Godilanka of Allavaram mandal, represented by a Dalit Sarpanch, is the second one to get the Nirmal Puraskar this year. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will present the awards to Sayyaparaju Ramakrishnam Raju, Sarpanch of Vedireswaram and Gosangi Venkanna, Sarpanch of Godilanka on March 23.

The Central Government has fixed yardsticks for choosing the best villages. The two villages of Konaseema have fulfilled all the norms set by the Government, achieving cent per cent sanitation, literacy and bringing about a rich look to the village with community participation and overall development.

Cent per cent literacy

Vedireswaram boasts of individual sanitary latrines (ISL) in each house. "We have achieved cent per cent literacy and provided ISLs to tell the villagers that health and hygiene are important. With the help of Byrraju Foundation, we also started a computer centre for school children," said Mr. Ramakrishnam Raju.

The village has other features like double-dustbin system for each house, beautiful parks for recreation, CC roads to even interior areas, adult education, one hospital, sign boards on each tree and houses with messages on environment protection and other issues.

It was Gosangi Venkanna, the 50-year old Dalit Sarpanch, who made everything possible in Godilanka village.

He took up the water issue as a major challenge and now every household gets purified, and also, mineral water.

He used his good offices to get more funds to take up beautification of the village with street lighting, good library, community hall, about 30 public taps, Anganwadi centre and CC roads in the entire village.

"We set up a high school recently. We imposed fine for public defecation and insisted on the use of ISLs along with double-dustbin for recycling waste," Venkanna said.

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