Uncertainty over future worries Chennadlu residents

Uncertainty haunts the families residing at Chennadlu, one of the worst landslide-hit villages during the last monsoon.

People are residing in the village without shifting to safer areas. The landslides coupled with heavy rain had hit the village on August 9, last year.

The deputy commissioner, who visited the landslide-affected areas then, had spoken on the impending danger if the families didn’t shift to the safer areas.

Accordingly, eight acres of land were sanctioned on survey number 153 at Kumbaladike in Kalasa taluk.

Fifty sites have been readied for the rain victims only two weeks ago. As a result, the residents of Chennadlu are unable to shift to safer areas and have to brace for the challenges of the monsoon at the village itself.

Nine out of the total 27 families have submitted an affidavit that they will not relocate from Chennadlu. The district administration has asked them to return Rs 1 lakh compensation given to them for construction of the houses.

"We have utilised the money for clearing the soil and repairing our houses. We do not have money to return,” said the families.

"We have readied the sites for rain victims on survey number 153 at Mavinakere. Even the title deeds are ready. However, the residents of Chennadlu are not keen on availing the title deeds," said Revenue Inspector Ajje Gowda. Now one more rain victim has also come forward to construct a new house. The remaining 17 families are worried over facing the challenges of the monsoon.

"The officials are asking us to take up the work on the house at Kumbaladike now. The site identified for rehabilitation has no proper road connectivity. Had the authorities given us the sites four months ago, we could have constructed the house," said Chethan, an youth from the village.

Marasanige Gram Panchayat member Oswald Pereira said, "The district administration should prepare to face the challenges of monsoon by deploying a rescue team at Chennadlu."