Garbage slide: Rs 14 cr interim relief paid to 44 victims

Eyes of elderly Lakshmi turned bleary as she listened to senior Civil Judge and Member Secretary of District Legal Services Authority Shilpa A G emphasising that the victims of Pachhanady garbage slide had lost their livelihood, health and above all mental peace.

Lakshmi says their family of four, including two daughters, lived a life of contentment in Mandara until the day when mountains of garbage came sliding down in August 2019. As the place had become unfit to live, the family were forced to relocate to Karnataka Housing Board’s apartment in Kulashekar. Lakshmi’s husband Boja Moily worrying over their future went into depression and passed away four months ago.

Moily owned 48 cents of land and livestock in Mandara and had received a compensation of Rs 12 lakh for crop loss.

“Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) officials after inspecting our documents at the camp held on Wednesday had promised a compensation of Rs 40 lakh,” said Lakshmi waiting for her turn to receive interim compensation from senior Civil Judge Shilpa and MCC Commissioner Akshay Sridhar at the court hall on district court premises on Thursday.

Lakshmi, however, is determined to move on with her new life. Even if the MCC removed the garbage and made the land cultivable, I will not go back, she adds firmly.

65-year-old Karunakara, the first victim of garbage slide to receive the interim compensation, with folded hands pleaded with both Judge Shilpa and Sridhar to make his land cultivable and restore his livelihood.

He later told media persons outside the court hall that they were leading a joint family in Mandara. Karunakara said post garbage-slide, he had tried his hands on doing something else in order to support his family. But with this age nobody even wants me to offer the post of a watchman, he lamented. He reveals investing his share of compensation for crop loss, which was over Rs 2.5 lakh, on land.

“I have no intention of surrendering 3.5 acres of agricultural land to the MCC and claim compensation. The land is covered with sewage water and there is no drinking water connection or roads. So I begged with the MCC to help me return to farming by removing sewage and making the land cultivable as before. I am not interested in filing cases and demanding higher compensation. I will accept whatever compensation is paid to me,” he stressed. An elderly woman complained that senior citizens were forced to wait for hours together. “In Wednesday’s camp, it was 10 pm by the time officials scrutinised my documents,” the elderly woman added.

Officials said that overall victims were happy on receiving interim compensation from the MCC. MCC Commissioner Akshay Sridhar said a compensation of Rs 2.7 crore for crop loss was disbursed to 41 victims. This time they had made provisions to disburse Rs 14 cr as interim compensation to 44 victims.