Karnataka   

Flood-affected people continue to grapple with harsh realities

Choiceless: The flood-affected in Sirguppa taluk of Bellary continue to live in these temporary sheds.

Hatcholli (Sirguppa taluk, Bellary): Even after four months, the lives of those affected by the flood in Sirguppa taluk in Bellary district, remains a far cry from normality. Although residents of Hatcholli village, one of the worst-affected during the flood, have come to terms with their situation, they continue to grapple with the harsh realities of everyday living.

Land owners and agricultural labourers alike, live in the temporary sheds erected by the district administration after the floods, prone to the harsh cold of the winter. The borewells, meant to supply water to those living in the sheds, do not function, and the residents have to bring water from the “nallahs” and the river located some distance away. Although agricultural programmes have resumed, the construction of houses promised by the Government is nowhere in sight in most villages in the taluk.

Over 20 villages on the bank of the rivers Tungabhadra and Vedavati (Hagari) in Sirguppa taluk were the worst-affected in the first week of October, last year. Following unprecedented heavy rainfall, not only were they rendered homeless, the floods washed away all their belongings, leaving them on the streets. A total of 22,127 houses were damaged, 50 per cent of which had collapsed completely. As many as seven persons lost their lives and 377 heads of cattle were washed away.

“We have gradually adjusted to the changed circumstances. People have started resuming their day-to-day duties. Our main problems are the scarcity of drinking water and the delay in the construction of houses”, Fakiramma, an agricultural labourer, told The Hindu at Honnarahalli village.

Ms. Fakiramma also shared her fear that the zinc sheets of the temporary sheds would be blown away by a particularly strong gust of wind. “Even with a small breeze, the sheets start make a lot of noise. She also said that she was eagerly waiting for the Government to start work on the construction of houses.

The boundaries of residential layouts have been marked in some villages. Construction work has only begun at T.S. Kudlur village, which was one of the worst-affected villages by the deluge.

Lakshmi, another agricultural labourer, explained the hardships the residents faced in getting drinking water, and apprehended that the situation would become worse during the summer.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Novel way to check man-animal conflict
Elections
Tributes paid
Red Ribbon Express to roll in on February 14
‘Survival of Konkani essential for preservation of Goan identity’
Flood-affected people continue to grapple with harsh realities
Meeting
For polio-free life
Novel strategy to stem conflict
Giving ancient Kannada literature a modern form
TAPMI to launch awareness scheme
KSP meet
Two suspended
Health scheme

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu