As Polavaram looms, Koyas cast one last net in Godavari floods
Using the traditional bamboo-framed Pander Valla, Koya fishers make the most of the flood season on the Godavari, Sabari and their tributaries as the Polavaram project threatens to submerge their villages and disrupt centuries-old ties with the rivers
The Koya tribal people of Andhra Pradesh are taking advantage of the final phase of their traditional fishing practices as the Godavari River floods. The Koya reside in villages that fall within the submergence zone of the Polavaram irrigation project, a project that threatens to submerge their way of life. Traditionally, the Koya people use a fishing net called Pander Valla, a rectangular net made of bamboo poles, to catch fish in the floodwaters.
The Pander Valla is single-handedly handled and is particularly suited for fishing in deep, fast-flowing waters. Koya fishermen cast the Pander Valla in the floodwaters of the Sabari, a tributary of the Godavari, which enters Andhra Pradesh at Chintoor in the Polavaram district. Koya fishermen fear that the Polavaram project could be the last opportunity to practice their traditional way of life, as the R&R plan for the project has been designed to rehabilitate those displaced in places without rivers.
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