Come monsoon, the 2018 flood victims of Kodagu, whose houses were devastated in the rain fury leaving them homeless, can hope to start a new life as the title deeds of about 463 brand-new houses constructed at two sites with all basic facilities would be handed over to them.
This is the first major allotment of identical-looking houses in a row to the victims of floods and landslides since the tragedy struck them two years ago. Kodagu witnessed two back-to-back calamities in 2018 and 2019 devastating the landscape, causing untold hardships and huge losses to the people.
After having stayed in rented homes since the disaster, the flood-affected can occupy the 2-BHK houses built on 30 x 40 sq. ft dimension in June as Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is slated to hand over the documents of the newly-built properties on May 29.
About 383 houses at Jambooru and 80 houses in Madhenadu are ready for ownership. The Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited had constructed the houses on the sites developed on government land. Each house has been constructed at a cost of ₹9.85 lakh.
The flood victims of 2019 were told to either build houses on their own land and the cost would be borne by the government or construct houses on the sites developed by the authorities and the cost would be released for the construction based on the progress of work. “Many took the offer and the construction was underway at several places. Also, a few of the victims found the location of built houses unsuitable and opted for houses being constructed in other locations,” sources said.
Barring the houses already allotted at Karnangeri village, none of the “ready-to-occupy” houses had been occupied by the victims. About 35 houses had been allotted in the village. At Jamboor, Infosys Foundation was constructing 200 houses for rehabilitating flood victims. In total, about 800 people had lost their houses in the calamity.
Assistant Commissioner Jaware Gowda said the houses at Jamboor and Madhenadu are ready to occupy and added that a meeting had been convened by the Minister in-charge of Kodagu district V. Somanna in Madikeri on May 22 in connection with the handing over of the houses on May 29.
More than 222 families from Karadigodu and Guhya villages in Siddapura Gram Panchayat had lost their homes in the floods resulting from the swollen Cauvery after heavy rains lashed the region in August last year. The total number of affected families including those from Guhya, Siddapura and Karadigodu is 387, with the highest number of affected from Karadigodu and Guhya. They are apparently displeased with the place identified for their rehabilitation. The district administration has identified a six-acre plot in B. Shettigeri near Virajpet for developing sites and building houses.
They sought an alternative land as they claimed the identified site was “unsuitable” for earning a livelihood since majority of affected families from the three villages were labourers and farm workers who depended on daily earnings for their living. Many of them had stayed near the river bank.
The issue over the location was still unresolved perhaps in view of the lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic. But, sources said no other suitable government land was available to replace B. Shettigeri and the authorities hope to persuade the flood victims.