Kadiyam nursery: Female worker’s death sparks uproar over negligence

Rajamahendravaram: Kadiyam Nursery is known for its different varieties of flowers and breathtaking gardens all over the country. Despite being a major horticultural center in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, more than 2,000 farmers have been working on 5,000 hectares of land. It is a popular tourist destination; people from far-flung areas come here to enjoy the beauty of the nursery.

Located just 15 km from Rajamahendravaram, the cultural capital of Andhra Pradesh, these nurseries entice people of all walks of life. However, nursery workers don’t have access to basic facilities. Most workers are illiterate, and there is no arrangement of security for the employees, especially women workers.

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A tragic incident occurred in Burrilanka village recently, where a 43-year-old female nursery worker was gang-raped and murdered by local farm workers on October 15. The unfortunate incident was revealed several days after the crime. The incident occurred due to the negligence of the nursery authorities. They never pay attention to the security of female workers.

Kadiyam Nursery has been doing fantastic business, and its annual turnaround is around Rs 800 crore. Government officials never paid any attention to the working conditions of female workers in the area. Approximately 50,000 staff are employed in Kadiyam’s gardens; half of them are women. Several women have come from the Andhra-Odisha border, as well as from North Andhra districts and Chhattisgarh. Nursery owners have been charged with neglecting the workers welfare.

The 43-year-old victim, originally from Paralakhemundi, a municipality in Odisha, was gang-raped and murdered by four individuals on October 15, after which her body was thrown in a canal connected to the Godavari River. The police have nabbed the accused.