VIZAGAPATAM
Relief-works were opened in March 1897, but (see the figures below) were sparsely attended until the south-west monsoon threatened also to fail, when people crowded to the works and in addition gratuitous relief was necessary on a considerable scale. In August, however, the district recovered almost as suddenly as it had declined. The report on the famine explained this by saying that —
'The cause of the sudden demoralization may be ascribed to the almost perpetual immunity from famine that the district has enjoyed Even in 1876-78 it escaped practically scatheless. The break-down in the present year appears to have been due to the fact that, while the people realised that a disaster was impending, they had no experience of its nature or of the extent to which they could rely upon the help of the State, and consequently exaggerated the unknown danger before them. It may also, perhaps, have been due to the belief, which pre- vailed throughout the Presidency, in a prophecy that the last three years of the current Hindu cycle ending with 1900 would be years of famine and pestilence ending in a general débâcle, in which caste would disappear.'
Part of the sudden crowding to the works was also doubtless due to the high rates of wages which were being paid at them,and much of the sudden recovery to the excellence of the rain in August and September. The parts of the district which were earliest and most severely affected were the taluks of Bimlipatam,Vizagapatam and Sarvasiddhi, and parts of Anakápalle and of the Vizianagram zamindari. But eventually the whole of the plains portion of the district and the Pálkonda Agency were included in the area of distress.
The average numbers on relief in the district during the famine and the price in seers per rupee of ragi in each month in the affected taluks are shown below : — Month and year. Average nnmber of people relieved during each month. Price of ragi in seers per rupee. On relief works. Weavers. On gratui- tous relief. Total. March 1S97 April ., 1 May ,, 1 June ,, 1 July Anfrast „ September ,, 3,042 10,616 12,992 15,132 20,401 12,935 5,834 ' 698 5,130 7,599 6,637 394 1,946 2,711 9,630 27,878 13,522 4,534 3,436 12,562 15,703 25,460 53,478 34,056 17,005 210 15-7 14-2 11-2 10-8 12-4 12-2{center|150}}
