Katikeri village in pitiable plight

There is no drinking water, no roads to commute and conditions of drainage system is pathetic. The roads constructed 15 years ago look like roads leading to forest with both sides covered with tall trees. This is the condition of Gondibasavanahalli’s Katikeri village which comes under Mullusoge Gram Panchayat.

According to government records, 318.74 acres of Gondibasavanahalli comes under forest area. This has resulted in deprivation of basic facilities to 450 families comprising of 2,000 people in the village.

The condition of people living in Katikeri area is pathetic. The 79 families living here get to use water  from just three wells, dug years ago. Due to flow of water on the roads, they have turned into drainages. Even though the village is situated four km from the main road, there is not a single mode of transport leading to the village. The state of pregnant women during delivery, sick people during times of emergency is unexplainable, says resident Harish.

Due to pathetic conditions of roads, autorickshaw drivers refuse ferry people even though people are willing to pay them more. Students who go to schools and colleges at Kushalnagar and Madapattana walk miles to reach the main road.

Prior to 2004, entire Gondibasavanahalli was paisari land. Later, due to lack of attention from villagers, when the village was declared under reserve forest area, lives of the villagers became miserable. Since then, there has not been any financial aid provided by Panchayat or government to the village. “We are leading hopeless life,” says Madamma, resident of the village.

Ten years ago, several residents in the village were given title deeds, and houses granted under ‘Rajeev Gandhi Grameen Vidutikiran Yojana’ and public distribution shops opened.

Residents Hemantkumar and Prashanth questioned how the government didn’t realise the area belonged to forests while granting them before. Due to declaration of the village under reserved forest area, residents have been deprived of basic facilities and are struggling to sustain life.