Vizagites ready to ride the waves at Rushikonda

SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Mar 14: If you have always envied surfboard enthusiasts who seem to tame the waves of the sea with their skilful maneuvering but don't quite find the beaches of Vizag as appealing as those of Miami or Hawaii or our own beach paradise Goa, a pleasant surprise awaits you. Regulars at the Rushikonda beach did a double take at the rare sight of a surfer riding the majestic waves. Vizag, known as the jewel on the Coromandel Coast will soon turn a Hawaii, the place known for sea surfing if the sport taken in full swing.
For the adventure freaks of Vizag, Lebahian Sebastian from Reunion Island, a French province, brings the perfect ocean adventure -sea surfing at Rushikonda beach. The beach is considered as one of the best places for sea surfing in the world.
"Wow this is a wonderful place for surfing. I have been to Hawaii, Mauritius and many other places and Rushikonda stands out as ideal for sea surfing. It's the clean sand surface here that makes surfing exciting and easy. Besides, it is safer than many other places since there are no sharp edged rocks and rough surfaces," says Lebihan Sebastian who runs Oxbow Surf School in the island in the Indian Ocean near Mauritius.
Sebastian and his wife Lebihan Marine chose to spend a five-week holiday on Rushikonda beach after they came to know about the place from some sea surfing enthusiasts on the Internet. Now they wish to give surfing lessons to some of the locals to promote the sport.
The couple has started a sea surfing demonstration camp in association with Visakha Water Sports Club for the benefit of Vizagites on Friday and the camp will be on till March 20. The adrenaline rush that surfing promises is something else altogether, says the couple.
"Surfing is fun and adventurous. It's easy too. Just take a surfboard, tie the leash, get out and hit the waves. You feel like you are flying in the air above the waters while going by the waves. And the cool breeze here, the serene beauty surrounded by hills give a pleasant and natural pristine experience," Sebastian says. Sebastian's wife Marine adds that until 10 years ago, sea surfers in their island were only a few hundred but now they are in thousands. "The 80km stretch of sea coast of our island has now became crowded. We were in search for another best sea surfing destination and a friend from France suggested Rushikonda. This is indeed one of the best beaches I have seen in India and across the globe," says Marine.
When asked what a person needs to start riding the waves, Sebastian says, "Swimming experience and little bit of confidence with enthusiasm to do something thrilling are enough to hit the waves with a surfboard. We feel like floating on the waters while going into the sea to catch the 11th or 12th wave, which has the power to carry the sea surfers. After that it's like flying in the air."
" I feel like I have conquered the sea by riding the waves. I am on top of the world," says Gabiale, a Standard 11 student who just learnt surfing from Sebastian. The sea surfing master who has many international accolades in the sport also manufactures sea surfboards at his island. He gave two surfboards to the local club.
"Some of our boys are already well-trained, courtesy Sebastian. They will pass on these lessons to other local enthusiasts, says Prof NAV Reddy of the Visakha Water Sports Club. The organisers are now planning to conduct more such camps in future. "I know Rushikonda has always that potential to have water sports. If slowly, sea surfing activity catches up here in no time Rushikonda would become perfect global destination for this activity," says Vinay, who works for a local BPO.
“A French team already identified Mangamaripeta and Rushikonda beaches as best places for sea surfing. Mangamaripeta has the 800mts wave, the longest world” says Visakha Valley school principal, Sharada Reddy, an water sports enthusiast. Earlier the sea was dotted with only fishing boats but now slowly hobie catboats, sea kayaks are being seen and latest the surfboards.

Left jittery after Maoist threat

BY SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Mar 7: The CPI Maoists' allies in principle, the cadresof CPI and CPM in the district were whiplashed into action this week, by adevelopment not seen in nearly a decade after they received an ultimatumfrom CPI Maoist East Division Committee Secretary Jagadish. The EastDivision Committee comprises the extremists teams of East Godavari,Visakhapatnamm Vizianagaram and Srikakulam part of the Andhra OrissaBorder Zonal Committee (AOBZC ).The letter was a shock to the leftist leaders, who had been thought to bewell away from the Maoists' bite. The letter was addressed to CPI MLADemudu representing Chintapalli Agency assembly constituency, Koyyuru MPPB Ramarajyam and G K Veedhi Sarpanch K Balaram of CPM. The message wasclearly a chastisement to the leaders, accusing them of 'lackingdedication in the cause', and diluting essential principles that protectedthe people. A more dangerous accusation was that the leaders wereresponsible for the increase in surrenders that were taking place, andthat the movement was being diluted by the lack of their enthusiasm.In the comprehensive warning, two issues were raised by Jagadish - Bauxitemining and the not taking up agitations against the arrests of innocenttribals by the police branding them as sympathizers of naxals. Accordingto the letter, the local leaders had been sitting on the Bauxite issue fortoo long without proactive measures, while the government has been pilingon the necessary procedures towards the mining and the setting up ofaluminium refineries.In fact, the leaders themselves had admitted that the fight against mininghad been sidetracked by other issues for a spell. Jagadish claimed thatseveral local innocents were being held by police, and that the victimswere later branded sympathizers. He urged the Left to take up cudgelsagainst the police in this regard. Soon after the warnings the CPIdistrict unit under the aegis of the Chintapalli MLA Demudu laid siege theRDO office in Narsipatnam demanding the police to stop arresting innocenttribals branding them as naxal sympathizers. The Leftists are panic as theMaoists are on a killing spree since a few months.In just a period of three months the extremists killed 10 tribals for‘working’ in compliance with police and encouraging tribals. “It is truethat they have sent a warning asking us to take up issues seriously. Wewould definitely take up the bauxite issues and others seriously. This islike a jolt for us in recent times. Until now they have targeted andkilled only other political party leaders,” confessed a senior CPI leaderof Andhra. On the part of CPM they have launched a fresh series of ‘padayatras’ opposing the bauxite mining in the Agency areas on Monday.They vowed to intensify the agitation further in the coming days. Eightyears ago, CPI State council member Meka Suribabu, CPI District CommitteeMember K V Subbarao and CPI District Committee Member Nooki Naidu werekilled by Maoists at intervals of a year. The ghosts of these incidentshave begun to haunt those in power, and left activities have received astrong shot in the arm.

Sparrows die of poisoning

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Nov 15: The chirping sounds of domestic sparrows and quaint scenes of a mother feeding her children by showing them these birds will soon vanish from the state, with these common birds fast disappearing, 75 per cent of them already gone in urban areas. A recent study conducted by city-based zoologists of Andhra University revealed that the depletion of sparrows is 75 percent in urban areas and 40 percent in rural areas in the past 15 years. These birds, which were seen in flocks earlier, are rarely seen nowadays. The prime reason for the disappearance of sparrows is shocking. According to Prof B Bharatha lakshmi of Zoology department in AU, the killer is not a vague concept like pollution and lack of trees, but cockroaches.
"Over-usage of powerful pesticides, insecticides and herbicides is causing the depletion in sparrow numbers," Lakshmi told this correspondent. According to her, these birds generally feed on small insects like dragon flies found in small grass patches and gardens and grains but these days due to lack of enough food sparrows started eating dead cockroaches that are thrown out by public in large numbers after killing them by powerful insecticides in the households. "Its an unusual phenomenon where sparrows started eating dead cockroaches. After eating these cockroaches that were killed by using powerful insecticides available in the market sparrows also started dieing," she said. These birds are also facing nesting problems due to the cities changing into concrete jungles. And in rural areas usage of modern technology of harvesting these birds are finding it difficult to get food.
The researcher also said that though there will not be any immediate affect due to the disappearance of these, the impact would hit the future, as each bird has its role in the eco system. "We can not just rule out the importance of these small birds. Importance of vultures was realized only after their number started declining and now government is taking measures to safeguard the existing vulture population. Our future generations will not be able to see sparrows which are very close to humans if something is not done to reverse the situation" she said. To halt the present situation greenery has to be encouraged and pesticides, insecticides and herbicides usage should be reduced. Bharatha Lakshmi with a group of students were studying the sparrows trend since 15 years. The research was conducted in various urban and rural places in Andhra Pradesh. She lamented that nothing has been taken up by the government even after the glaring decline of these sparrows issue was brought up in many national and international meets.

HIV+ form family for self-help

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Nov 12: Tired of fighting stigma from the society, around 200 HIV affected persons in the three districts of north Andhra –Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam decided that they would take care of themselves, by becoming a family. The HIV patients have formed a network among them and involving each other in their lives, be it to attend a celebration or to help one of them in need. They all gather at least once in a month and share their joys and sorrows. The patients even help each other in their last rituals. This initiative was taken up by the state nodal officer for control of aids, department of insured medical services Dr Phaninder Ketha who started "Positive Self Help Group" in the Employee State Insurance hospital in the industrial area of the city in 2005. "Being industrial workforce, most of them are prone to this dreaded disease because of their high-risk behaviour. We have formed a SHG in the hospital where industrial workers visit very frequently" says the doctor. In fact Vizag's ESI hospital is the only one in the entire state to have such a network to help and counsel the 'Positive' patients. Dr Phaninder, who earned a fellowship in HIV medicine from Christian Medical College in Raivellore, further says that the SHG was formed to give moral, psychological, social and emotional support. The patients eagerly wait for the seventh of every month, the day on which they meet. "I still remember those struggling days of mine. I was literally thrown out by my family members. I thought of ending my life before the disease killed me. But fortunately I came in contact with this group. Now I have some hope, to live happily for at least a few years. And I think these will be the most memorable moments in my life" said Nagaraju, 35, (name changed) who was getting treated for HIV positive since 3 years. Similar are the stories of all the members in the group. "Sometimes I feel lonely and gets tensed about my future but immediately there comes an invitation about some one or the other's birthday party and it's a real fun time for us" said another 40-year-old positive patient. Phaninder also said that regular meetings of these patients will infill some confidence among them and would help them regularly take their medicines and monitor their health condition. "Even the HIV patients have right to live in the society. Unfortunately we have this stigma in our system, which deprives these people of normal life. And this is what provided here to them. They will also take part in the funerals of other patients who die and they pretty well know that some day they would also die if medicines are not taken regularly and health monitored regularly" he said. The group also helps the positive people to get to earn their living also. There are some patients in the group who got jobs in the firms or places of the some well off persons who were also affected by the disease and part of the group. "I belong to Bihar and was with a private factory since a few years away from my family. After the co workers and my supervisors came to know about my disease they started avoiding me, which forced me to leave the job and when I came out there were none to offer me a job. I thought that's the end of life. But it was here where I got in contact with a person who helped me to get a job in one of his friends firm. Now I have some hope to live for some more time with out any hitches,” said the 38-year-old man from Patna..

Tradition - Homam to save innocents

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 23: When floods and fires struck, the ancients used to invoke the Gods for help.
Though times have changed, the basic impulse of the vast majority of humankind is still the same.
This was in evidence at the nine-day fire ritual held here to protect innocents from natural disasters, where the most powerful Vedic hymns were invoked.
It was Satguru Kandukuri Sivananda Murthy of Anandavanam who took the initiative to hold the Maharudra Homam at Bheemunipatnam, 30 km away from the city.
He decided to hold the homam after several astrologers, in their annual predictions before the Ugadi festival, warned of disasters and loss of life. Some of them even warned that carnages of unexpected scales may occur.
All this has created fear in the minds of the devout and the homam was meant to provide the assurance that the blessings of heaven were with them.
"What power does the common man have against such disasters?" asked the Satguru. "Only the power of prayer."
According to him, it was foolish to pray for individual well-being. One's safety is intimately connected with that of society.
"The greatest prayer, therefore, is to ask for the well-being of all," he added.
At an individual level, a person should ideally pray for the protection of the dharma within. "If the dharma in each person is protected, the dharma of society is intact," he said. In all, 11 Ritviks (fire priests) including the Satguru took part in the homam in which the Rudram hymn was chanted thrice during each rite, three times a day, while oblations were offered to the sacred fire.
When this was repeated for nine days, the cycle of the homam was completed.
Interestingly, no one was invited for the ritual. According to tradition, the news of the ritual should spread by word of mouth and people should come on their own. This is exactly what happened.
Thousands of people attended the homam and they were all given sumptuous meals. In the evenings, pravachanams or discourses on the holy texts were conducted.
Here too, the Satguru focused on the Rudram hymn, which made the ritual more meaningful for people.
During the Purnahuti, the culmination of the ritual, thousands gathered at the mango grove where the homam was performed.
As the mantras touched a crescendo, the Ritwiks appealed to the deity to shower grace upon the innocents threatened by the onslaught of evil. "Every individual who lives in society must contribute for the cause of general welfare," said the Satguru. "This is our message."

Panama Canal way to Sethu

By SNV Sudhir
Visakhapatnam, Sep 21: An expert has suggested a ‘Panama Canal' solution to the Rama Sethu controversy that will keep all contending parties happy.
Mr B.V. Audinarayana, a retired assistant garrison engineer of the Military Engineering Services, said that instead of cutting open Rama Sethu, the existing gap in the Pumban canal could be widened to allow ships to pass through.
The gap, created by Krishna Naik in 15th century and expanded by the British in the 18th century, is 30 km before the Rama Sethu.
This is similar to the design adopted in the famous Panama Canal and would be more economical and less controversial, he said.
Mr Audinarayana, who has done extensive research on the Rama Sethu, also known as Adam's Bridge, says that the project can be carried out, but with some modifications.
"The gap in the Pumban Canal can be further widened without disturbing the other structure," he said.
In the 15th century, Krishna Naick built a canal which was only a few feet wide and only four feet deep. Boats could pass through the canal during high tide and carts could cross when the water level was low.
When it opened to the sea the canal expanded to a width of about 2 km. This allowed the sand and silt to move from the east coast and Palk Bay into the deep sea.
The British widened the canal to allow ships to move easily to Ceylon instead of taking a circuitous route.
"The current approach being debated is based on the Suez Canal design," said Mr Audinarayana. "But it will be better if the Panama Canal model is adopted with dock locks at the Pumban Bridge."
The scientist, who had helped build the huge dry dock in the naval dockyard at Vizag in the 1970s, said that different kinds of dock locks can be provided for ships of varying sizes.
With this plan, the route would become shorter and the huge expenditure on dredging will come down.
"Also, dock locks will help check sand erosion due to further deepening of Pumban canal which will wreak major disasters," he said. "Big cities such as Vizag and Chennai will go under the sea in the long run if it is unchecked."
An expert has suggested a ‘Panama Canal' solution to the Rama Sethu controver- sy that will keep all con- tending parties happy. Mr B.V. Audinarayana, a retired assistant garrison engineer of the Military Engineering Services, said that instead of cutting open Rama Sethu, the existing gap in the Pumban canal could be widened to allow ships to pass through. The gap, created by Krishna Naik in 15th centu- ry and expanded by the British in the 18th century, is 30 km before the Rama Sethu. This is similar to the design adopted in the famous Panama Canal and would be more economical and less controversial, he said. Mr Audinarayana, who has done extensive research on the Rama Sethu, also known as Adam's Bridge, says that the project can be carried out, but with some modifications. "The gap in the Pumban Canal can be further widened without disturbing the other structure," he said. In the 15th century, Krish- na Naick built a canal which was only a few feet wide and only four feet deep. Boats could pass through the canal during high tide and carts could cross when the water level was low. When it opened to the sea the canal expanded to a width of about 2 km. This allowed the sand and silt to move from the east coast and Palk Bay into the deep sea. The British widened the canal to allow ships to move easily to Ceylon instead of taking a cir- cuitous route. "The current approach being debated is based on the Suez Canal design," said Mr Audinarayana. "But it will be better if the Panama Canal model is adopted with dock locks at the Pumban Bridge." The scientist, who had helped build the huge dry dock in the naval dockyard at Vizag in the 1970s, said that different kinds of dock locks can be provided for ships of varying sizes. With this plan, the route would become shorter and the huge expenditure on dredging will come down. "Also, dock locks will help check sand erosion due to further deepening of Pumban canal which will wreak major disasters," he said. "Big cities such as Vizag and Chennai will go under the sea in the long run if it is unchecked."

Coffee plantation near Vizag under control of Maoists

By SNV Sudhir

GK Veedhi (Vizag Agency), Aug 30: Government gave away a huge chunk ofcoffee plantation to the outlawed Maoists in the Agency tracts of thisdistrict offering little resistance. The Maoists now own huge chunks ofthe plantation though the officials confess that only 160 acres ofplantation was under a short of dispute. A visit by this correspondentfound that a part of Kumkumpudi and Marripakala coffee estate in this GKVeedhi mandal, which buzzed with round the clock activity of plantationtill 3 months back, has literally turned into a no man zone now. The staffof AP Forest Development Corporation and local tribals working in thoseplantations dares not to step into these fields spread around in 160acres. The Maoists of east division sent an ultimatum a few months backwarning the APFDC, which is the leased owner of the reserve forest, toleave the fields to the local tribals. They also told the tribal labourersnot to go for work. The west division coffee plantation of APFDC has RVNagar, Gudem I, II, Lanakalapalem and Kumkumpudi estates. The totalplantation in these estates extends to 2, 600 acres of reserve forestwhere the coffee seeds of international repute are produced. The coffeeseeds that are cultivated in these plantations are exported to manycountries through Banglore and Chennai based agencies who buy them fromthe APFDC. Around 3 tonnes of coffee seeds are produced in the westdivision which fetches Rs 2 to 3 crores per anum. The APFDC is the biggestemployer in the agency and 1,000 tribals are employed in west divisionplantations.Around 200 tribals belonging to seven to eight surrounding villages, whowere working in 160 acres of Kumkumpudi estate where the naxals gainedupper hand recently, are sitting idle.Though it was a long pending demand by the naxals of the Vizag Agency ofdistribution of coffee plantation in the Agency to the tribals, it was nottaken seriously by the government. But recently naxals have sent a word toAPFDC officials through the lower staff not to enter the fields. Thiscorrespondent could see two red flags pitched by the extremists and alsosome marking stones in the hillock of approximate 160 acres where no onedares to enter. “They told us not to work in the coffee fields of APFDC instead theypromised to distribute these lands to us so that we can take up thecoffee cultivation on our own. But we cannot take up the cultivation asit needs expertise and it’s not that easy. We are in a confused state. Wecan’t ignore the warnings of the naxals and also cannot sit back at home.We already lost daily wages since 2 months. I don’t know when thisproblem will be solved,” said Somra (name changed), a native Kondh tribalof Cheepurugondi.The outlawed Maoists have also pitched a red flag on the most advancedcoffee-pulping unit acquired by the APFDC recently. “We are not able tounderstand what to do now. No one dares to go there. Entire plantationwork in these 160 acres came to a standstill since 2 months. We arehelpless,” said an APFDC official under the conditions of anonymity who isin a grip of fear. The works of fertilization, weeding, handling, whichhas to be carried in this season was stopped here.At this juncture the GK Veedhi police had stepped in and startedcounseling sessions to the tribals of these surrounding villages tomotivate them to get back to work. Police are also explaining them theconsequences which would arise if they occupied those plantations at thebehest of the naxals. “For the past few months we are going into thesevillages and conducting counseling sessions to these tribals.. They arealso losing daily wages for not attending the regular work,” said the GKVeedhi SI, K Srinivasa Rao. APFDC pays Rs 84.85 paise per day to alabourer.The Officer on Special Duty of the police department, Ch Srikanth saidthat they took a step further and started counseling the tribals in orderto motivate them to join work. “We are here to provide security toeveryone. It’s true that a problem cropped up in this particular area withthe support of some external forces. We are on our job and will definitelysort out it very soon. And as part of it we are conducting counseling”said the senior police official.