16
SUPPLEMENT TO THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
Description.—Udayagiri is a large village the headquarters of the taluk of
the same name in the Nellore District. It is about 30 miles south-west of the
Mopad area previously reported on. It lies on the eastern base of a high ridge of
the Eastern Ghats. Three subsidiary hamlets lie to the north-east. The
topography is better learnt from the attached sketch than from a long description.
At Udayagiri itself there is practically no cultivation—the surrounding country
is rock and jungle. But round the hamlet there is soil, red loam and red sand,
which is cultivated and irrigated from tanks and numerous wells. There is a
little wet cultivation (rice) near the tanks but the main crops are dry crops
— j o n n a r a g i a n d s u j j a . T h e s u b - s o i l w a t e r i s a b o u t 2 5 f e e t f r o m t h e s u r f a c e i n
most places. In the hot weather most of the tanks become dry and water becomes
scarce. Udayagiri itself gets drinking water by a conduit from a mountain
spring. The majority of the people are Hindu Telugus, but in the main village
of Udayagiri there is a large Muhammadan population descendants of retainers
and of dependants of former Muhammadan rulers whose capital it was. The
people of the main village seem to be very poor. Both cultivable land and
industries are lacking. Further some of the Muhammadan population gave the
impression of being too proud to do "coolie" work despite their poverty. The
houses are mainly of brick and mortar with several rooms. Cattle are not parti-
cularly common. Usually they are housed in rooms or verandahs separate from
living rooms.
Climate.—This is practically the same as that of Mopad described in another
report, except that the rainfall and its associated conditions seem to be more
variable probably due to the presence of the hill. The average seasonal rainfall
from April one year to March of the next is shown in chart I, curve C. The total
annual rainfall from January to December for the last few years is shown in
chart II. It will be observed that there has been an increase in the rainfall in
1924, and a still greater increase in 1925, which later has been particularly heavy
late in the rainy season in December, and has carried on even to March 1926 as
shown by curve C in chart I.
Statistics.—For the years 1918 to 1925 the average birth-rate has been 13.3
per mille and the death-rate 9.77 per mille. These are both low which rather
suggests that many births and deaths are not reported. The chief cause of death
appears to be "fevers." The records for attendance for malaria at the dispen-
sary in the main village has been charted on charts I and II. They show first,
that ordinarily there is a distinct malaria season corresponding with the cooler
rainy season October to December as in Mopad. See chart I curves A and C.
Secondly they show that malaria has kept at a moderate level from 1920 to 1924
but that a great increase occurred in 1925 corresponding with a heavy rainfall in
1924 and in 1925. See chart II. Thirdly chart I shows that the great increase
of malaria in 1925 was not mainly seasonal but was at an unusually high level
throughout the year. The chart shows a definite correspondence between malaria
and rainfall. The seasonal epidemic of 1924, instead of dying away maintained a
high level throughout the early part of 1924, which, allowing for a lag, corre-
sponds with abnormally high rainfall in late 1924, (25 inches in November-
December). After this the high level of malaria was maintained through the
usually dry months April to August corresponding with the unusual rainfall in
May and August. Then occurred a seasonal rise in October. This fell a little
in December but again did not die away. Then occurred the very great rise of -
early 1926 which seems to definitely correspond (allowing for a lag) with the very
heavy rain of late 1925. The presence of rains in March and April 1926 is also
noteworthy as helping to produce cooler and moister atmospheric conditions than
usual at this time of the year which probably greatly assisted the continuance of
the epidemic by favouring adult mosquito life. The epidemic appeared to be
extraordinarily severe. Without exception every one spoken to in the main
village gave a history of recent malaria. We are informed that about ten years
ago there was a similar epidemic and officials had to live outside away from the
village.