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Wednesday, Sep 08, 2010
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Devuniyerravally catches the eye

Special Correspondent

1,000 people from the village vow to donate their eyes

- Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

NOBLE MOVE:Villagers from Devuniyerravally take a pledge to donate their eyes in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: It's a godforsaken place by all accounts. But the tiny village of Devuniyerravally in Chevella mandal is now hogging all the limelight. No, there is no major project here to boast of nor any earthshaking event.

Devuniyerravally's hour of glory is all because of its 2,000-odd inhabitants who have decided to donate their eyes. That sure raises eyebrows. About 1,000 of them landed up at the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital here on Tuesday and took a pledge to donate their eyes.

Their move is significant since it coincides with the ongoing national eye donation fortnight. Hospital authorities right from the superintendent, Dr. M. Vidyavati, down to the ward boys were surprised and pleased at this rare gesture.

“I want to donate my eyes since they will go waste after my death. If they can be of use to someone, I will be all the more happy,” remarked Padmamma, a housewife. Her views are shared by Mahesh, a farmer, and Satyanarayana, a barber. Even 12-year-old Swapna is all charged up to donate her eyes.

“Now 1,000 villagers have come here to donate. The remaining persons are also ready,” says Satyanarayana Reddy, the proud sarpanch of Devuniyerravally.

What prompted these illiterate villagers to donate their eyes? It was the loss of vision by Dhobi Chandrayya in a scooter accident four years ago that clinched their decision.

“Eye donation by an entire village is a rare feat. We will try to get this gesture into the Limca Book of Records,” says S. Rajalingam, a social activist.

An intense campaign is on by the S.D. Hospital to create awareness about the magnitude of corneal blindness during this fortnight.

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