Bridges, a distant dream for these Karnataka islanders

KARWAR: Living on an island could be anybody’s dream. But not here. With rivers overflowing and little help available in case of emergencies, life on an island in Uttara Kannada district becomes impossible during monsoon.

The district has many islands where people have been living from hundreds of years. Come monsoon, the problems of these families living in islands aggravates. At least five small villages gets cut off from the main land for at least three months and boat becomes the only way of transporting to the outer world.

Two years ago, Hosabu Patgar of Igalakurve island in Kumta taluk who was the only bread earner of his family suddenly fell ill. The villagers took him to Kumta hospital after crossing the 300 m  river in a boat and then in a private vehicle. When he reached hospital, doctor declared him brought dead. If the patient was brought few minutes earlier, they would have saved him. After his death, his son discontinued education and started working in a paddy field with the responsibility of taking care of his three sisters and mother. The villagers opined that if there was a bridge from their island, Hosabu would have not lost his life.

There are about 150 houses and more than 1,200 people in Igalakurve which is surrounded by Aghanashini river. There are two boats, one boat connects the island and Kodkini village, another boat travels between the island and Hosur-Hegde. There is power supply in the island, but no mixer-grinder works due to voltage problem. Mohan Patgar, a resident, said drinking water is a big problem. The river has salt water and borewells in the island are of rough water. “We bring water from Mirjan which is 5 km away from the island. We cultivate only one crop in a year that too in rainy season. After rainy season, salt water gushes and it is not possible to cultivate,” he said.

Not just Igalakurve, there are other similar villages like Umalejuga and Devakar  in Karwar taluk, Devaramote and Karikurve  in Honnavar and many more. Other islands are connected by bridges, but these islands have no connectivity except boats.