"We got all our essentials, ration here, there is water, electricity. By staying here, we are keeping ourselves away from others,” says Cheeturi Ramulu, a 39-year-old farmer of Komatpalli village in Kamareddy district of Telangana. Ramulu and his four-member family have shifted base to their farm field, which is 4 km away from the village.
Surrounded by a couple of waterbodies, the village has a population of nearly 1000 people and depends on farming. The fear of COVID-19 seems to have pushed these villagers to move into the lap of nature.
Like Cheeturi, over 35 agriculture families have shifted to farm fields in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown. Rajamani, a woman farmer and wife of Ramulu, says, "A day after Ugaadi we have come here, children too don’t have school. We are looking after our cattle and sheep here itself."
Raju, another young farmer, whose family also settled a day after lockdown was announced, says, "Much of our time we spend here anyway. So, we thought why not shift here during this lockdown and stay safe from the virus."
However, a few are upset with their self-isolation becoming news and reporters flocking to their fields. Farmers say that their self-isolation is an added advantage as the paddy crop is in the last phase of yielding and is now getting enough protection from strays, monkeys and wild boars.
Farmers, whose paddy crop is set for cutting, are already offering chickens as part of an annual ritual and some are busy in keeping the yield for drying in the sun before loading off to government procurement centres at the mandal headquarters.
N Gangaram, a farmer with four acres of land, who also has self-isolated tells TNM, "Soon after the announcement, most of us thought that keeping ourselves at a distance is important. We anyway have not come in contact with anyone who is suspected of getting the virus, so moving here is safe as we will not be in touch with anyone."
When asked about groceries and essentials, he says, "One person from my family went to the village to bring essentials, all of us have taken our ration when it was distributed."
Gangaram explains that it's their belief that made them stay in the farm fields in tiny makeshift huts for the time being. He says, "We aren't gods to think we won't get it (virus), but what we believe is that at least by staying at a distance, we can save ourselves from the threat."
While these families are completely residing in their fields, other farmers are also coming and staying in their respective fields until they leave before dusk.
Officials are also appreciating the villagers for deciding to go into self-isolation as it reduces the risk.
Kamareddy district has a total of 11 cases with three recoveries, according to medical and health officials, while the state has over 700 cases as on Thursday.
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