As monsoon begins, people in Kodagu live in fear of landslides, floods

Madikeri: Kodagu district has incurred a huge loss of property and lives following landslide and heavy rains in 2018 to 2020.

The heavy rains in 2018 caused heavy damage to the farming community as many farmers lost houses and other properties in the devastating rains and landslides. The expert committee appointed by the State government to ascertain the reason for the landslides in its report pointed to the unscientific construction on hillocks as the reason for landslides.

But in many parts where the was no any construction activity landslides occurred.

Fortunately, for the last two years the district did not witness any landslides. An expert committee told a media conference that there would be no landslides in current rainy season. Nonetheless, the district administration has made all the arrangements to tackle any kind of emergency arising out of landslides and floods during this rainy season.

It has identified 44 landslide prone and 43 flood prone areas in the district.

The officials identified 100 places prone to natural calamities in 10 Hobalis of five taluks which has made people nervous.

The 2018 rains, the worst disaster in recent decades, rendered more than one thousand people homeless, many roads and bridges collapsed and property loss was estimated at more than Rs 500 crore.

The State government which made a promise to construct houses for all the victims is yet to fulfil it. For instance, in Abyat Mangala officials have identified house sites for more than 70 victims in Nelli Hudikeri gram panchayat, but they are yet to be distributed. Construction of house for victims in K Nidugane gram panchayat limits is going on at a snail's pace.

Last week Deputy Commissioner Dr B C Satish conducted a meeting of all key officials and instructed them to be fully alert to face any kind of situation that may arise out of rains.

The memories of thousands of people living in shelter homes in many areas in 2018 in the district are still afresh. To allay their fears, the administration will issue alert notices to the people in landslide and flood prone areas ahead of the rainy season.

Satish said that an NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team would arrive in district next week. A separate task force teams will be formed in all the five taluks, under a district-level task force team and a 24x7 help line will also be opened.