The internally displaced Muria tribal community of Godavari valley is still practising ‘deda’, a traditional method of preserving seeds that his ancestors handed over to his family.
- This community migrated from Chhattisgarh and settled in the dense forests of the Godavari Valley (Andhra Pradesh).
- All the 70 families in Chukkalapadu habitation in Chintoor Agency in Alluri Sitharama Raju district continue to practice the deda method.
- In deda method, the seeds are preserved in leaves and packed almost airtight to look like boulders from a distance. The packaged seeds are, in turn, woven with Siali leaf (Bauhinia vahlii), which is locally known as ‘addakulu’ to make the deda.
- The deda method guarantees protection of seed from pests and worms. In this method, the stored seeds can be used for cultivation for up to five years.
- Prior to 2012, scores of Murias migrated from Chhattisgarh during the conflict between the banned left-wing extremists and the Central forces.
- The Murias settled along the banks of the Godavari and Sabari rivers in the Godavari valley in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- The habitations that were formed with the migrant Murias are known as habitations of the Internal Displaced People (IDP).
