Madikeri:  “The people of this area have been shaken right from the month of June when it started raining, worried about coffee and pepper being washed away. The worst fears unfortunately came true in the second week of August and the question that  is haunting was whether we would survive at all,” recalls Channapanda Monnappa and Mallige couple, whose land and house was swept away right in front of their eyes.

Seeing the torrential rains everyone realised that the land is going to cave in and there will be floods. By morning, all of us had to run for our dear lives leaving everything behind as the whole place had disappeared before sunrise, were the agonising words that the couple shared with Star of Mysore about the dark moments they experienced. This couple are the residents of Kaluru village at the foot of Pushpagiri Hills, 14 kms from Madikeri.

They had 1.5 acres of land growing coffee and in the middle of it their house. They were also growing paddy in the lower region of the land and leading a comfortable life.

However, in the second week of August everything came crashing down. Right in front of their eyes they saw the cracks in the hill and the land caving in. As a result Baribellacchu village lost all contacts with the outside world. The road on either side of Galibeedu and Devasthuru has caved in due to heavy landslide.

Before, a bigger calamity struck, Monnappa and Mallige couple climbed the hill to save their lives and reached Madikeri and are staying in a relative’s house. The 1.5 acre land is completely swallowed and the house has developed cracks.

When will the government aid come and what will be our fate? wondered the couple sharing their anxiety.

Defying death: Even if landslip has occurred in Kaluru village, a few families who have been living there since birth are refusing to leave the village. Chandira Harish and Prema family is one among them.

When there was landslide, the NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force) and Fire Fighting Force had reached the place and wanted to move them out. However, refusing to leave the place, Harish and Prema instead send their aged parents to safer places. As the house had developed crack, they moved to their neighbour Palayenda Satish’s house.

However, by morning the hill had collapsed and flattened the house and the land of Harish couple. But they did not lose heart. They went in search of their house which had moved 1.5 kilometre away and retrieved whatever they could like 30 kg of cardamom, cash and a few ornaments which were buried under the landslide.

The couple are still residing in Kalur village itself defying death and are in touch with their relatives.

The family is safe now and there are many such brave heart stories comming out from the flood ravaged Kodagu.