Question

Which fruits are mostly grown in Salakamcheruvu village?
A. Mangoes
B. Apples
C. Coconut and palm
D. Sapota and sweet lime

Answer 1

Hint: Salakamcheruvu is a village which is named after a tank called Salakamcheruvu. It is situated 30 kilometres north-east of Anantapur in the Singanamala Mandal.

Complete answer:
After which the village is named, at present it is dry and according to the villagers it has been dry for the last two decades. The tank was constructed to store water from the high hills to its West. The soil of this area is red and is only two to three feet deep because of the stones that roll down into the fields. These have little to no nutrients and less quantity of humus as well. They lack sufficient depth as a result have little capacity to hold water for roots to grow and spread. So many fields are kept uncultivated or need to be left fallow after cultivating a crop. Apart from these, there are certain lands which are deeper and have finer soils but these lands have degraded and become saline soils. The rainfall in this area is also unreliable and drought is a recurring phenomenon. Villagers for their livelihood and survival have constructed tanks and wells in this region and took care of these tanks. More and more digging of the well has resulted in overutilization of water in this region. Realising the water problem the villagers of Salakamcheruvu decide to plant orchards of sweet lime and sapota.
Now let us examine the options
Option A - Mango plants for better growth require 9-12 litres of water every day approximately. Full-grown trees require nearly 30-35 litres of water.
Option B - Apples do not need more water but they cannot be grown in drought-stress areas. These plants are sensitive to low soil moisture.
Option C - Coconut and palms grow in areas where sufficient rainfall happens. Palm trees require at least one inch of water, especially if this plant is recently planted.
Option D - Orchards of sapota and sweet lime require water only in some seasons and give return regularly every year. So the villagers of Salakamcheruvu started planting orchards of sapota and sweet lime as they require less water.
Thus, the correct answer is option ‘(D) Sapota and sweet lime’.

Note: Due to the scarcity of water the villagers of the Salakamcheruvu mostly rely on sheep for livelihood. As these sheep give birth to lambs twice a year. They sell the lambs after a few months. In addition, some of the villagers also rear buffaloes and cows for milk.