Forty-five Yanadi families in Chalivendram village in Muttukuru mandal of Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh suffer hunger and severe under nourishment as a result of destruction of their fishing grounds and loss of means of livelihood due to the construction of the Krishnapatnam Port. The malfunctioning of the public distribution system and non implementation of social security programmes has also worsened the situation of the Yanadis. Call to Action An international action is needed to address these violations of the right to food in Andhra Pradesh. Please write polite letters to the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh requesting him to meet their obligations under the human right to food and guarantee access to food and livelihood resources for all those suffering hunger and under nourishment in Nellore district. Background There are about 351,676 Yanadis living in eight districts of Andhra Pradesh (Census 2001), of which more than fifty percent live in Nellore District. Forty-five Yanadi families of Chalivendram village in Muttukuru mandal of Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh are in a critical situation due to the construction of the Krishnapatnam Port, a major port for exports of iron and other minerals. Krishnapatnam Port was established in July 2008. Around 6,500 acres of land have been acquired for the port, warehousing facilities, six-lane road and broad-gauge railway, helipads and truck parking. This project has a severe impact on the Yanadis` right to food due to their dependence on fishing for their survival. The former fishing areas are running dry because of the construction of roads across the stream. Furthermore, fish are dying because the water has become polluted and muddy since mud from the port is being dumped in the stream. The Yanadis did not receive any compensation or rehabilitation for the loss of livelihood and are struggling to make a living by doing day labour which is also very limited. Since the fishing areas are running dry, the Yanadis are dependent on the rations they get from the Public Distribution system. This system in India is made up of ration shops across the country through which food grains and other essential commodities are sold at subsidized rates. The Yanadi families have ration cards to buy subsidized grains from the public distribution system, but the grains provided are not enough (4 kilogram`s of rice per person) to feed the entire family for the whole month. Yanadis do not always have money to buy food grains in one instalment but would prefer to buy in several instalments. But due to the dictates of the shopkeepers they are compelled to buy food grains in one instalment even though the Supreme Court had issued a directive that buying in instalments was possible. Sometimes, even if Yanadis have the ration card, they lack the money to buy the subsidized food from the PDS shop: Subsidies alone - without a minimum food income programme - cannot secure the human right to food. Such programmes, however, are missing, even though they are required under the human right to food. Moreover other social security programmes like the Integrated Child Development Scheme, Old Age Pension and Widow Pension scheme are not being implemented in Chalivendram. The destruction of their fishing areas and the non implementation of the public distribution system and other social security programmes have made the situation very critical for the Yanadis making them susceptible to hunger and starvation. India as a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, is duty-bound under international law to respect, protect and fulfil its people`s right to food. By constructing the port without proper rehabilitation and compensation of the project affected persons India breached her respect- and protect-bound obligations, by not addressing the situation of hunger and under nourishment faced by the Yanadis in Nellore district; and not providing relief and guar

Back