CHIKKAMAGALURU: Malemane, a tiny village tucked in a hill range in Balur hobli of Mudigere taluk, now looks entirely different from what it was barely a week ago. Rains and landslides completely devastated the picturesque village reducing it to debris overnight, but all the villagers survived miraculously.
There existed houses of Rajesh, Aswath, Odappa Gowda, Chandre Gowda, Raje Gowda, Ravi Gowda and Sathish Gowda. On August 9, heavy downpour battered the region.Around 3 pm, the hill came crashing down on the village. But most of the villagers had been to Banakal for a ‘Thithi’ meal, leaving only five women, an old man and an 11-year-old boy at the village.
Locals rescued the boy, Vihan. But the six others could cross the furious rivulet nearby amid the falling mounds of soil and came back. They hid themselves in a tiny room of Ravi Gowda,fearing that their end was nearing as huge trees were falling and boulders rolling down the hill amid rainwater.The entire village including Chowdamma temple was swept away. But the house where they were hiding was strong enough to survive the hostile situation.
The following day, a team of local youths led by Sathish rescued all the six stranded people. When they looked back, they were in disbelief — the village was destroyed leaving no signs of its earlier existence, except for a car and motorbikes buried in mud.
Recounting the horror, survivor Vindhya told TNIE that locals tried to help them unsuccessfully, but her son was rescued with great difficulties. “I told them to look after my son carefully. We came back from near the overflowing stream and sat in the house, worried. Around 10 pm, a loud sound was heard pushing the door. Heavy rain and falling boulders and soil increased our fear. We lost all hopes of our survival. If we are alive today, it is because of God’s grace,” she said.