Involuntary Resettlement and Impoverishment Risks: A Case of Devaragondi Village, Andhra Pradesh (Published)
Involuntary displacement from one’s land and habitat carries with it the risk of the migrant becoming poorer than before displacement, since a significant number of migrants do not receive adequate compensation for loss of their assets nor effective assistance to re-establish them and make them productive. Cernea M. M. (2009) identified eight interlinked potential risks intrinsic to displacement that is commonly observed: landlessness, joblessness, homelessness, marginalization, food insecurity, increased morbidity, increased mortality, and loss of access to common property resources. In this background, this study was conducted in the village Devaragondi of Polavaram Mandal in Andhra Pradesh to access the impoverishment risks of project affected people after their displacement due to Indira Sagar Project. To meet study, purpose anthropological tools such as household survey, interviews, and focus group discussions were used. The findings of the study show that the above impoverishment risks have increased after displacement. Improper implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement policy the government failure to provide adequate land, compensation, and other forms of support to displaced people.
Keywords: andhra Pradesh, dam-induced displacement, devaragondi village, impoverishment risks, indira sagar project, tribal people