Just after dusk, everything comes to a halt at Hosur Paidoddi, a village surrounded by irrigated land on the banks of the Krishna.
“We do not venture out of our houses after dark for the fear of snakes and attack by wild boars as there is no electricity in the village. All our pleas for electricity connection have gone unheeded,” remarks Nandamma, sitting outside her dilapidated house with her grandchildren.
Hosur Paidoddi and five other villages in the district were under the waters of the Krishna during the devastating floods in September 2009. They were identified to be shifted to safer locations. But even after five years, this remains a dream. The promise of good houses, assured potable drinking water, electricity, approach roads and other facilities has not been met.
Moving back
Almost all the houses had collapsed in the 2009 floods and the people were put in temporary shelters. Later, they moved back to the village and put up small huts in the places where once their houses stood.
While those who could afford to construct houses in their agricultural fields moved away, others remained in the thatched huts. “We are living like animals. Nobody cares for us and the promised house to us is still a dream,” said Nagamma, a senior citizen who cannot move about without the help of her grandchildren.
The half-hearted attempt by the government has only resulted in the completion of 111 houses of the 212 houses required to shift the entire village. The villagers have refused to move into these houses with the demand that all the promised houses be completed. The 111 houses and a school building constructed on nine acres of land in the upper reaches on the outskirts of the village stand in ruins. Some houses are used as sheds for sheep. The construction of houses here was taken up by software major Wipro.
Two-year delay
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner F.R. Jamadar said that the proposal for acquiring four more acres of land to construct the remaining houses to shift the entire village has been pending with the government for two years.
“We had also sought release of Rs. 12 lakh as compensation to acquire four acres of land, but so far we have not received money,” Mr. Jamadar said. He added that he would visit the village and once again make an attempt to persuade the villagers to occupy the 111 houses which were ready for occupation.
Better situation
However, the situation is better for people in five other villages that were hit by the 2009 floods. In Bandolli village on the banks of the Krishna, all the 186 houses have been constructed and handed over. Similarly, in Tinthini, Uppaldinni and Goudur villages, all the houses have been completed.
In Anur K, of the 240 houses, 200 have been completed. Notices have been issued to the contractor to complete the remaining houses. While the land army was given the work at Bandolli, Tinthini and Uppaldinni, software major Infosys had taken up construction at Goudur and Anur K.
