Monsoon: 72 vulnerable villages identified in Kodagu

Residents who were enjoying the monsoon in the past are now terrified by the arrival of the rain. The devastation caused by massive landslides and flood in the last three years has created fear among the residents.

The natural calamities that hit the district have changed the lives of scores of people.

The district administration has taken several precautionary measures to tackle monsoon woes in the district.

The district administration has identified 72 villages in 51 Gram Panchayat limits as vulnerable to natural calamities like flood and landslides. Of the 72 identified, 57 are flood-prone and 23 villages are prone to landslides. The residents have already been warned of the impending danger ahead.

The district administration has estimated that 1,828 families with more than 10,000 people are likely to be affected.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, measures have been taken to open relief centres to house the affected families in case of any disaster. The NDRF team is camping in the district to tackle any eventualities.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Raju Mogaveera said that 17 gaushalas will be opened to accommodate 618 cattle in case of any tragedy following the rain.

Amid all the preparations, there are allegations that the affected families are yet to get houses and the damaged roads and bridges have not been repaired.

Of the 840 families who lost their houses in the natural calamities that hit the district in 2018, houses have been distributed for 650 victims. The work on the houses is in progress at K Nidugani. The work on 200 houses being constructed by Infosys Foundation is nearing completion.

The flood victims of Bettadakadu, Kumbaragundi, Baradi, Guhya and Karadigodu are still waiting for a roof over their head. As many as 250 affected families are residing in rented houses and sheds.

“It is two years since we lost our houses. We have not received any houses so far. The promise of paying the rent has also not been fulfilled so far,” said the victims.

Though the district administration had cleared eight acres of land at Abhyathmangala for the flood victims, the rehabilitation work has not gained any speed.

Guhya resident B S Suresh said, “The promise of rehabilitation has not been fulfilled so far.”

Further, a bridge at Cherangala was washed away in the flood last year. The new bridge has not been constructed so far.

The villagers have constructed a temporary wooden bridge to cross the overflowing River Cauvery. The villagers will lose connectivity if the temporary bridge gets damaged in the flood this year.

People who were residing in Chamundeshwari and Indira Nagara were rehabilitated at Jamboor and Karnangeri. Only 119 families have shifted to new houses. The remaining continue to reside in the vulnerable area. The CMC has served notices to shift them from the spot.

ZP CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena said, “An amount of Rs 50,000 has been released to each Gram Panchayat to make preparations for the monsoon. A team of officials have been constituted.”