Over 300 members of about 55 farmer families living in four areas on the foot of the Western Ghats in Malavanthige Gram Panchayat limits in Belthangady taluk, on the border of Dakshina Kannada with Chikkamagaluru district, have deserted their homes, leaving their cattle behind.
Some of them return to their village on foot — an arduous journey — to take care of the cattle but head back in the evening. Vasantha Gowda from Nandikkad area who has taken shelter in a relative’s house at Didupe said that unless the torrential rain stops, none would dare to sleep in their house overnight as there were still chances of landslips and flooding.
With the memories of flash floods, which hit many areas in the gram panchayat limits on August 9 afternoon still haunting them, these people are taking shelter in relief camps or in the houses of relatives in the taluk from the past five days.
Plantations damaged
Flooding by the waters of rivers and rivulets, which carried sludge and huge tree trunks following landslips on the ghats, extensively damaged arecanut plantations and houses at Nandikadu, Parlamakki, Tulapule, and Kajakke areas. These areas are at a distance of 3 km to 6 km from Didupe–Somanthadkka–Ujire main road.
With portions of the mud roads leading to theses areas getting washed away, it takes about four hours for them to cover a distance of 6 km by foot from Didupe–Somanthadkka main road, said Keshava Gowda from Parlamakki, who has taken shelter in a house near Kukkavu in the nearby Mittabagilu village. “Never in the past have such floods hit our areas,” said Vasantha Gowda, and added that the source of the landslips appears to be Durgada Betta, deep in the Western Ghats bordering Chikkamagaluru district. “Durgada Betta appears to have developed many cracks,” Mr. Vasantha Gowda said, and added that a 3-km stretch of the road leading to Nandikkad had been completely damaged.
“There is no road at all on that stretch. It is full of silt and trenches,” he said.
The former president of the Malavanthige Gram Panchayat D. Dinesh Gowda said at least 22 roads in the panchayat limits have been damaged. “Arecanut plantations and paddy fields of many small and marginal farmers are filled with sludge. In some plantations, sludge is up to 3-ft. deep. About 75% of arecanut plantations in the panchayat limits have been damaged,” he said.
He said that local people did a major work in restoring power supply on the main road from Kukkavu to Didupe for about 6 km. “Many houses in interior places do not have power supply since August 9,” he said.
‘Guttu Mane’ houses 56 victims
As many as 56 people affected by flash floods are taking shelter in the ‘Guttu Mane’ (traditional manor house) of Jalajakshi, near Kukkavu, in Mittabagilu Gram Panchayat limits in Belthangady taluk since August 9.
They belong to 14 families and are from Parlamakki area on the foot of the Western Ghats.
Incidentally, Ms. Jalajakshi, in addition to owning farmland near Kukkavu also owns farmland at Parlamakki. Hence all those who have taken shelter in her home have known her for many years.
“We are cooking food that should be enough for 100 people every day,” H. Venkatramana Gowda, her brother, said.
Health Department staff have been visiting the house to check the health of the flood affected, including that of Seethamma, who is in her 90s.
Keshava Gowda from Parlamakki said they were not sure how long they should stay there as there was a fear of landslips in the upper reaches damaging at least six houses.
People of the village are voluntarily supplying vegetables and grocery needed to cook food.
The government’s relief centres are at Kukkavu government school and Killuru government school.
Dairying too hit
The flash floods that hit villages in the limits of Malavanthige and Mittabagilu gram panchayats on August 9 have affected not only arecanut and cocoa crops but also dairying activity.
Monappa Gowda, chief executive officer of Mittabagilu Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society, said 381 hybrid cows and 114 calves in the villages are facing scarcity of fodder. Green fodder, usually available in arecanut plantations, is under sludge. Transportation of dry fodder (dry paddy stalks) from districts such as Hassan and Chikkamagaluru is facing problems owing due to the closure of Charmadi Ghat for vehicles for a month. Shiradi Ghat too has been closed for traffic till Sunday.
The daily milk supply to the society has come down from 1,250 litres to 650 litres. It is also difficult to find clean water for the cows and calves, he said.
