No relief for Kodagu landslide victims: 5 years later, compensation still pending
Five years after Kodagu district's landslides, victims await government compensation. Survivors like Lakshman, confined to bed, and orphaned children still face hardship. Promised aid remains unfulfilled, with some, like Yashwanth and Prasanna, receiving no relief despite extensive efforts.
 )
FollowFive years after the devastating landslides in Kodagu district, the victims are still waiting for government compensation. In 2018, thousands of lives were lost, and the destruction continued into 2019 when a landslide in Korangala, Madikeri taluk, claimed 10 more lives. Among the casualties, five people were buried alive, and five others were injured.
Lakshman, one of the injured, suffered severe injuries with his hip bone broken in three places. Despite treatment in Madikeri and Sullia, his condition worsened, leaving him almost immobile. His lower back has nearly lost all function, confining him to bed. He can barely walk, let alone work. Yet, he has received no compensation from the government.
‘Rethinking Kasturirangan report implementation’: CM Siddaramaiah calls for permanent solution for landslides
Before the accident, Lakshman earned a living as a daily wage worker. Now, he depends on his elderly mother’s old age pension to survive. His story is tragic, but perhaps even more heartbreaking is the plight of three orphaned children who lost both parents in the same landslide. Balakrishna and Yamuna were buried alive in the Korangala village landslide, leaving their three daughters orphaned. At the time, the girls were too young to understand the magnitude of their loss.
The then District Collector, Kanmani Joy, promised the children employment once they reached adulthood and completed their education. However, now that they are grown and seeking the promised jobs, they are being told that no such promise was ever made.
The family lives in a makeshift house made of cement sheets. Two of the girls are still in school, while the eldest, Lakshita, works to cover their education expenses. The family’s situation is dire, and the local community is demanding that the government provide the orphans with a proper home and secure employment.
Karnataka: Cauvery River flood waters submerge roads, buildings in Kodagu
In another case, Yashwanth’s family lost their home to the landslide, but they have yet to receive any compensation. Their house was destroyed, and despite their efforts to seek help, the authorities denied compensation, claiming they had already been provided with a house by the panchayat. Prasanna, another victim who lost his home, expressed his frustration, stating that the family had spent five to six months seeking compensation, only to lose more money in the process.
Five years on, the victims of the Kodagu landslides are still struggling to rebuild their lives, with many of them yet to receive any relief from the government.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.
