Two decades on, safe shelters elude flood-hit families

Kalaburagi: Two decades on, and after spending thousands of crores of rupees to rebuild lives and houses, safe housing for flood victims remains largely unfulfilled.

In flood-prone districts such as Kalaburagi, Kodagu, Gadag and Raichur, rehabilitation colonies built for vulnerable and displaced families now stand mostly deserted. 

In these districts, flood-hit families have refused to move into the new houses, citing substandard construction quality, lack of basic amenities including drinking water supply, and inadequate space to accommodate their livestock, farm equipment and agriculture harvest. Many have instead chosen to repair and stay in their old, flood-prone homes.

In Kalaburagi district, for instance, residents of 88 flood-ravaged villages still hesitate to move into the new houses built for them. In Jewargi’s Mandarwad, 100 houses were constructed on an adjacent hillock after the 2019 floods. Today, only 15 are occupied. 

“We do not want the meagre government compensation or relief materials provided by donors, as they are only temporary measures. What we need are new, good quality houses, because every monsoon we spend sleepless nights with the recurring floods caused by the overflowing Bhima River,” said Devakki Naikwadi, a farm labourer from Jewargi’s Kobal village.

Residents complain the new houses, are built on just 500 sq ft, while the allotted plots are around 1,500 sq ft.

In Kodagu, where heavy rains and landslides in 2018 displaced thousands, over 800 houses were sanctioned, yet many remain unoccupied due to bad roads and lack of transport. Title deeds for about 100 houses are still pending due to unresolved objections.

Assistant commissioner Nithin Chakki said the tahsildar and other officials will be directed to inspect bad roads and lack of transportation by visiting the spot. He also said problems will be resolved after receiving the report.

Following the devastating 2009 floods that killed over 200 people in North Karnataka, the state government launched the Aasare scheme, constructing over one lakh homes with donor support. Nearly half of over 300 identified flood-prone villages were shifted to these homes.

However, many of these vacant homes are now in ruins, with leaky roofs and crumbling walls. Some have been converted into cattle sheds, while others have become hubs for illicit activities and overrun by vegetation.

“The government allotted one house per ration card, regardless of family size after the 2019 floods,” said Yunus Baba, a resident of Kudi village in Jewargi taluk. “As a result, many large joint families chose to stay in their old houses despite the recurring floods.”

Kalaburagi deputy commissioner Fouzia Taranum said the administration has analysed 20 years of flood data to identify villages for relocation. “Villagers must move to safer locations once new houses are built under the rehabilitation plans,” she said.

“We are working to convince them, and gram panchayats will have to pass resolutions to facilitate the process.”