Harijan Colony in Mallasandra is a hellhole

Sadly, the schemes launched by the government to provide basic amenities to their areas has hardly reached them.

Mallasandra in the taluk is a nondescript village with 300-400 houses. As many as 100 of these houses in Harijan Colony belongs to the SC/ST families. The colony is a hell hole as there is no sign any development. Some of the families don’t possess even a house and live with other families in one house.

A walk around the colony will reveal in what pathetic conditions residents live here. The polluted water from the drains overflows on the road as the drains are clogged or simply don’t exist. Garbage is dumped in the vicinity. It is a blot on the civilised society.

The residents have to wash their utensils and clothes in front of the houses as the only taps in their houses are the one’s put by the Gram Panchayat in front of their houses for drinking water supply. Interestingly, even animals drink from the same tap. The residents fall easy prey to disease due to inhumane living conditions.

It is not an isolated case, the plight of many dalit colonys in the district is similar. The funds sanctioned by the governments (both Central and State) through Ashraya, Ambedkar, Indira Awas, Navagrama, Gangakalyana and other schemes have reached the dalits.

The influential leaders from the upper caste have utilised the funds to develop their areas, said A Nanjundappa, a resident. It is also an example of lack of both political and elected representations will.