Flood victims in Siddapura await proper housing

People affected by floods in the Siddapura region are still living on the banks of the river, as the rehabilitation programme has not made any progress.

Hundreds of houses in Bettadakadu, Baradi and Kumbaragundi limits were damaged in 2019.

The district administration cleared the encroachments on 8.22 acres of land in Abhyatmangala village to provide sites to the flood victims.

Inordinate delay

The forest department had submitted a proposal to the government to fell the trees in the identified land.

According to sources, the order to fell the trees came after a year, resulting in delay. However, there has been no visible progress since then.

In Abhyatmangala, the then assistant commissioner, Javaregowda, took measures to allocate sites to the beneficiaries through tokens, after the flood victims staged protests.

But, the victims opposed the same, as the revenue map of the land was not prepared before the allocation. As a result, the flood victims are still leading their lives on river banks.

The flood victims complained that the district administration has been procrastinating the allocation of sites.

No serious measures have been taken even as another monsoon has approached. There is uncertainty about the future among the residents on the river banks as the makeshift sheds built by them, are getting damaged.

Humane gesture

Various non-government organisations have been coming to the rescue of the flood victims, within the limits of Nelyahudikeri Gram Panchayat.

Daya Charitable Trust is building 12 houses. As many as 16 houses have been built in Bettadakadu by Sahaya Charitable Trust.

Sites have been provided to 35 victims. ODP organisation from Mysuru has built three houses for the flood victims who lost their houses in 2019. Construction of houses for seven families who lost their houses in 2020 due to floods, is in progress.

Gram panchayat member A K Hakim lauded the help extended by various organisations.

Uncertainty

Sangeetha, a flood victim from Nelyahudikeri, said that her family has been living in a shed on the river bank for the past two years.

There has been no help from the government, she added.

Nelyahudikeri Gram Panchayat president Sabu Verghese said that the Gram Panchayat will provide all basic facilities if permanent rehabilitation is provided by the government.

The district administration should allocate the lands to the flood victims soon, he said.