This was served along with rice to the flood-affected at the gruel centre at Sarur village in Muddebihal taluk on Sunday.
Sarur village and tanda, 7 km away from Muddebihal has around 2,500 houses, of which more than 200 have collapsed due to the incessant rains for the past five days. The rest of the houses are also dilapidated and may collapse at any time.
A large number of villagers are injured and the district administration opened a gruel centre at the primary school and a second one at Elu Gudi of Halumata Samaj on Saturday. As many as 500 people were fed at the school centre and around 100 people at the Gudi centre. When Deccan Herald reporter visited the Elu Gudi centre on Sunday afternoon, the gruel was under preparation and the people were not fed anything since morning. The people sat staring at the cooking. Incidentally the masala powder was somehow obtained by the people themselves.
When asked if the materials supplied was enough to feed 100 people cook Nagappa said, “We are cooking with whatever supplied to us. In fact, we have saved half of the vegetables given yesterday for today.“
“Each gruel centre is given 50 kg rice, which was actually in the school (for mid-day meal) and nothing else” said Siddu Todihal. Taluk Agriculture Co-Operative Society member Siddaiah Guruvina said “We have collected a few things from here and there and are preparing food”. The village has good connecting roads and vehicles can reach it. However no official has visited the place yet. Even the gram panchayat secretary was not present at the gruel centre.
Drinking water was not provided and people were seen carrying water from a far away borewell.
In Gadag
“Initially, we thought it was a dish made out of jowar. But, as soon as it was served, we realised that it was rice, which was not fit for consumption. Such is our plight that we have to consume whatever is served to us...”
This is the kind of food that is served at the gruel centre, where hundreds of displaced persons are forced to fill their stomach. The rice is over-cooked and the rasam is insipid.
The plight of the people rendered homeless is heart-rending. Children, women, elders alike are residing on the roadside. People are seeking shelter in the tents made out of plastic. Half-cooked upma, overcooked rice and stale rice which is conveniently converted into yellow rice, are being served at the gruel centre.
These people who are yet to come out this disaster, are in dire need of nutritious food. But unfortunately, the district administration has completely failed in handling the flood situation. It has failed to collect information on the number of people who have been rendered homeless, nor has it bothered to reciprocate to their sufferings.
For namesake
When it comes to consoling the displaced, a gang of people who tag along with the political leaders, are always present to express their concern. Later on, they are nowhere to be seen.
The district administration has opened gruel centres just for namesake, the people hit back angrily. Around two years back, when the district had faced similar situation, some people who were displaced then, were yet to settle down even today.
The district administration had sent a proposal to the Government to shift Holemannur village. Apart from the purchase of land and the release of amount, for the same, Chief Minister Yeddyurappa had set in motion, the process of shifting, on October 4, last year.
But later, no work materialised in this regard. Apart from Holemannur, the proposal to shift Kuruvinakoppa, Gadagoli, Holehadagali, Amargol, B S Beleri, Basarakoda, Hole-Alur, Menasagi and also, Kurlageri and Lakamapur villages of Nargund taluk was under consideration.
However, the district administration had washed its hands of the matter, by attributing to the fact that some of the villagers had opposed the shifting.
And now the floods has once again lifted its murky head, the people have nowhere to go.
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