ILLEGAL SAND MINING-- WHEN I COULD CRACK IT, WHY NOT YOU? Potti Dibba  Lanka: Pottidibba Lanka is a small lush green island in Krishna River about 25 Kms downstream of Vijayawada, falls in Totlavalluru mandal of Krishna Dist, AP. The island, which is about 2500 acres fifty years ago, is now reduced to little over 1500 acres and the balance merged in river due to erosion during floods. The soils are very fertile with silt content coupled with abundant water resources and known for cultivation of turmeric, banana, sugarcane, maize, yam, vegetables and area is lush green even in peak summer months.  Though the island falls in Krishna dist, most of the land is owned by farmers from Kollipara village in Guntur Dist, which is about 3 kms from island. I too from Kollipara, but live in Hyderabad and technically a farmer from this picturesque island. This island lands are covered in three villages – Totlavalluru, Chagantipadu & Devarpalli. In Pottidibba Lanka, there is a...

EMPOWERING RURAL POOR- GROUND REALITIES Global Perspective: Look at African continent, even after several decades of independence there is no significant improvement in poverty situation. International agencies are dumping food, medicines etc, but not the resources required for their sustainable development. The colonial rulers are replaced by their dark skinned counterparts and the loot is being continued under the cover of self rule controlled by colonial white Sahibs. It’s clear the developed world seldom give them fish to eat but not willing to teach them how to fish. Despite so much of external aid, the Bangladesh poverty more or less remains the same. It is shocking to hear from horse mouth (an international gender development consultant) that the NGOs guest houses in Bangladesh are of minimum 4 star hotel standards located in prime locations with lakefronts etc and run into 200 to 300 rooms capacity.   It is clearly evident that the international aid is bein...