Overflowing rivers, streams : Villagers going through harrowing time even to perform last rites of dear ones

Madikeri:  While good rain has brought cheers to some, it has added misery to many as continuous rainfall has resulted in the rivers and streams flowing above danger mark and many bridges flooded, which is giving a harrowing time especially to the villagers of First Monnangeri, about six kilometers from Madikeri not only to move about but also to bury and cremate the dead. Despite such a situation, the District Administration, instead of coming to their rescue is sitting with folded hands.

On Sunday, Acchapateera Machamma (92), a resident of First Monnangeri, passed away at a hospital in Madikeri and her relatives who brought the body to the village had a harrowing time to take the body to her residence as the connecting bridge was flooded. They had to carry the body on the submerged bridge by risking their own lives.

Heavy rainfall in Kodagu and in Kerala this time has caused misery in Kodagu district and the worst hit is First Monnangeri village coming under Gaalibeedu Gram Panchayat in Madikeri taluk, which has more than 80 families and more than 400 people use the only bridge there which is now submerged.

The bridge was constructed about eight years ago as a connecting bridge to First Monnangeri and if the authorities had increased its height by three more feet as requested by the villagers, there would not have been a situation where the villagers had to carry the body of the dead over the submerged bridge by risking their lives.

With rain water gushing from the hill, water in flowing in full force over the bridge and the villagers are forced to use the flooded bridge. Though there is a footbridge next to the flooded bridge which was constructed about 60 years ago, this footbridge too is now under water as a huge wooden log which came floating collided with it thus  destroying it.

With both the bridges under water, the village has lost its connectivity with other places. This apart, more than 40 school children are forced to use the broken footbridge and the flooded bridge to go to their schools. There had been an incident in the past where a 7th standard student getting drowned while crossing the footbridge and despite such incidents, the elected representatives  and the district administration are silent with no action being taken in this regard.

Despite the villagers of First Monnangeri writing letters and also presenting memorandum to netas, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears resulting in villagers continuing to suffer.