Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Flood threat looming large over Hire Mannur village

T.V. Sivanandan

Low-lying areas will be affected if Maharashtra releases water into the Bhima

Bad shape: Mud houses in the Dalit colony in Hire Mannur village in Gulbarga district.

GULBARGA: The onset of monsoon and the flow of water into the Bhima are a curse to those living on the banks of the river in Hire Mannur village in Afsalpur taluk of Gulbarga district.

Every year, when there is flooding in the river after Maharashtra releases excess water into the riverbed, the first village to be affected is Hire Mannur, and the worst-affected are those from the Dalit community and the Backward Classes whose houses are located in low-lying areas.

An assurance to relocate these families was given by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy during his “grama vatsavya” in Hire Mannur a year ago. Mr Kumaraswamy, who had stayed in the village overnight, had made a tour of flood-hit areas in the housing colonies.

Moved by the plight of the families, he directed the officials to acquire land in a safer place near the village and shift the families immediately. Mr. Kumaraswamy also promised that the houses under different schemes would be constructed for them. But according to the officials, acquisition of land is yet to be completed.

Flood threat to the low-lying areas in Hire Mannur is more serious this time due to the presence of backwaters in the river bed near the village throughout the year. This is owing to construction of barrages downstream. People such as Khajappa Doddamani and Shanthappa, whose houses were partially damaged in the floods last year, had to live in the government school building for nearly a month. They said that in the past, the river bed was empty except during the rainy season. But this year, the backwaters of the barrages had flown into the river bed.

“Once Maharashtra starts releasing the water from its storage facilities upstream, within a few hours flood waters will reach the Karnataka border and surround low-lying areas and flood-prone localities in Hire Mannur,” they said.

Mr. Doddamani said that last year, the familes affected by floods had got a compensation of only Rs. 1,000 each and foodgrains.

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