The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Mysterious fires destroy huts in Vizianagaram villages

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Mysterious fires destroy huts in Vizianagaram villages

Correspondent

115 huts are gutted in Jayati, seven in Amarayavalasa

VIZIANAGARAM: Villagers of Amarayavalasa and Jayati in Mentada mandal are fear stricken due to mysterious fires for the last fortnight. They are spending sleepless nights since then in the open.

The unending mysterious fires so far destroyed 115 huts in Jayati and seven in Amarayavalasa, remote villages accessible by road in the mandal. The recent addition to the number of huts went up in flames in the presence of fire fighting unit that was stationed following the fire accidents and police personnel who were deployed to check if it were an act of miscreants on December 2 was ten.

When this correspondent visited the villages on Saturday, many a number of villagers, apparently, panicked by the regular fire accidents removed palm leaves that covered their huts and were taking shelter, braving the chilly weather during nights, in the nearby mandal parishad elementary school building and also on the verandah of neighbours’ homes. They did not even dare to transport paddy to their homes. The paddy was seen stacked in fields. There is no rivalry among men or groups in villages, says Sathivada Butchannaidu, former MPTC member.

The regular fire accidents gave room for superstitions. According to Machireddy Kannayya of Amarayavalasa, villagers performed ‘yagnam’ after construction of ‘Seneswara Temple’ and disposed of the ashes in the open instead of immersing them in river/tank. Owing to failure of monsoon this year there was no water in tanks, he said. And for this reason, they believe that evil spirit struck their villages. They engaged Kalidas Sarma, a siddanthi from Parvathipuram to ward off the evil. The villagers pooled over Rs. 60,000 to pay him off for the rites. Ironically, on the last day of rites on November 16, in the presence of the siddanthi, 37 huts in the morning and five in the afternoon at Jayathi caught fire mysteriously.

Revenue, Police and fire fighting personnel could not find a clue to the fire. Botcha Appala Narasaiah and P. Rajanna Dora, MLAs of Gajapthinagaram and Salur constituencies visited the villages and assured all help. Revenue officials distributed 10 kg of rice and Rs. 4000 per hut to 37 victims and the rest were forced to make their own arrangements, laments Manapuram Srinivas.

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