Cup of woes brims over for villages in Bagalkot

Channal and Nandagaon villages of Mudhol taluk in Bagalkot district have turned into islands due to the floods created by the backwaters of Almatti dam across River Krishna.

Whenever more water is released from the Hidkal dam, built across River Ghataprabha in Belgaum district, it joins the Almatti backwaters, resulting in the two villages losing road connectivity.

Also, requirements of agrarian families, like big houses, seem to have become a hurdle in completing the rehabilitation of the flood-affected people in these villages. With floods being an annual affair, many people have been shifted to safer places. But around 110 people are still staying at their ancestral houses in the two villages. They are demanding compensation to move out of their houses, so that they can avail the land given by the government.

"We have big houses now. Being farmers, we need bigger places to move into. We need  proper compensation for our old houses. For this, we have approached the court also," says Shivanagouda Patil of Channal.

The district administration has provided motor boats for the convenience of people in these two villages. There was improvement in the flood situation on Friday.

Gruel centres

At Mirji village in the taluk, flood water entered the houses of 42 families five days ago. A total of 210 people have been given shelter at the gruel centers at the government Ayurveda hospital and the government higher primary school in the village. The cattle are also provided with shelter at the gruel centres.

According to Dundappa Jirgal, who is staying at the gruel centre, flood-affected people in the village are ready to shift to safer places, but only if the government provides them houses.

"To build Aasare houses for the flood-affected people, we are not getting the required land, though the government is ready to pay Rs five lakh for each acre of land," Mirji village accountant K K Satvekar said.

At Ontigodi village, around 260 Aasare houses have been constructed, but nobody is staying there, as people feel those houses are too small for them. To visit the flood-affected villages in a radius of 15 km of Mudhol town, one has to take a detour as the bridge on the Mudhol-Yadwad Road is submerged for the past three days. The bridge, however, was opened on Friday.

Flood without rains

Though many areas in Mudhol taluk have not received heavy rainfall, there has been a flood situation for the last four days.

The floods are due to the water released from Hidkal dam and the backwaters of Almatti dam. The flood water has entered hundreds of acres of sugar cane fields. One can see peacocks and other birds searching for food in the fields.