Closure of day-care centre for endosulfan victims leaves many parents worried

Drivers refused to ply cars to bring the victims as they are not agreeable for the rate prescribed by the government — Rs. 18,000 a month

Thirty victims were making use of services at the centre at Kokkada in Belthangady taluk.— File Photo

Pushpalata from Panja in Sullia taluk on Friday thanked the physiotherapist for agreeing for a two-hour session for her 10-year-old son at the day-care centre at Kokkada despite the centre being officially closed. Her worry now is the impact of discontinuing physiotherapy on her son, with no certainty on when the centre will reopen.

It is not just Ms. Pushpalata who is worried. Parents of 29 other endosulfan victims are concerned over the closure of the day-care centre at Kokkada in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada.

The Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), which runs the centre, decided to close down its operations following refusal of the two drivers to ply cars to bring the victims to the centre and drop them back to their houses at the rate prescribed by the State government.

“They were not agreeable for Rs. 18,000 a month prescribed by the government and instead wanted Rs. 32,000 that was being paid by us,” said project director of the SKDRDP L.H. Manjunath.

The impact

The impact of this closure on endosulfan victims is immense. For instance, Ms. Pushpalata has been bringing her son to the centre from the last two years. “When I came here my son was not in a position to sit. Physiotherapy sessions for nearly two years have brought a drastic change and my son is now trying to walk,” she said. Ms. Pushpalata is at her wits-end trying to figure the way she should keep the treatment going.

With the absence of vehicles to bring the victims to the centre and drop them back to their homes, Mr. Manjunath said they decided to close down operations of the Kokkada centre for the time being. He said tenders had been floated seeking services of two cars from June 1 for the day-care centres at Kokkada and Alankaru village in Puttur taluk. “We hope somebody responds and we can resume operations.”

Two drivers operating from the day-care centre at Alankaru have also refused to accept Rs. 18,000. “But they agreed to our request to continue plying the cars till the tenders are finalised,” Mr. Manjunath said.