Karnataka - Raichur   

Flash floods displace island dwellers

No where to go: Displaced families have taken shelter in the corridor of a rehabilitation colony near Atkur village in Raichur taluk.

Kurvakala island (Raichur taluk): People of Kurvakurd and Buradipad villages on the banks of Krishna and Kurvakala, Agrahara and Mangigadda islands in Raichur taluk, who have been living under the threat of the backwaters of the Jurala project for 15 years, have been displaced after the flash floods hit their habitats month ago.

The Atkur, another riverside village in the taluk, where the people felt safe from the backwaters, have become victims of flash floods. Of the 600 families, nearly 100 houses have been damaged fully or partially and another 300 houses with damp walls are filled with silt and mud and are unfit for living.

Although the Government has proposed to shift Atkur as had been done in case of Kurvakurd, Buradipad and other affected islands, it failed to provide temporary shelter, foodgrains and other facilities to the displaced families from Atkur.

Two years ago, the State Government had commenced work on three rehabilitation centres — one near Atkur for the displaced families of Kurvakala and Agrahara islands, another near Buradipad for displaced families of Buradipad and the third near Dongarampur for the displaced families of Kurvakurd and Mangigadda — for providing sites to about 1,256 displaced families.

The Andhra Pradesh Government had released Rs. 30 crore to set up these centres but the authorities concerned have no interest to complete work on them.

Except marking of sites with construction of some public buildings like schools, health centre, post office and anganwadi, action had not been taken to provide roads, drains, water supply and electricity.

The official apathy has left the rehabilitation centres undeveloped till today. Because of which, the allotment of sites to the beneficiaries had been delayed.

The recent flash floods had come as an added problem to the people in these trouble-prone villages and islands. Now, many displaced families had been living in despair taking shelter under the temporary sheds nearby their villages.

But temporary shelters had not been provided for the affected families from Kurvakala and Atkur.

Some families from Kurvakala and Atkur have taken shelter in the corridors of the public buildings at the rehabilitation centre near Atkur but living without the proper supply of foodgrains, drinking water, clothes and other facilities.

Venkatramreddy, a victim from Buradipad, said the ongoing work on the rehabilitation centre near Atkur, Buradipad and Dongarampur was taken up three years ago. The authorities concerned have not been able to allot sites to the beneficiaries as the work on the formation of sites and other facilities at these centres were still incomplete.

He said even if the sites were to be allotted, the beneficiaries had to build houses at their own cost as the Government had released compensation after acquiring houses and properties in the affected villages and islands. On the other hand, the sites were too small causing inconvenience to farmers while keeping their cattle and store foodgrains.

But at present, most of the affected families may not be able to build houses on their own when they have been facing difficult situation with collapse of their houses and loss of standing crops along the river banks.

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Flash floods displace island dwellers

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