RAJANNA SIRCILLA: Villagers of Kandikatkur in Illanthakunta mandal are bearing the brunt of the allegedly unannounced release of water from the Mid Manair Reservoir (MMR) to the Lower Manair Dam (LMD).
While the inundation in the village had been getting worse for the past four days, Saturday’s lifting of all 25 radial gates of MMR was the last straw for the locals.
According to the villagers, around 1,200 sheep were washed away in the floodwaters, while three cattle died and as many as 150 pump sets got submerged.
Shepherds who were grazing their flocks of sheep in the flood flow canal were taken unawares by the sudden inflow. The water also gushed into many houses close to the dam.
“The houses are still damp. We are also facing a threat of snakes and scorpions,” lamented Dommati Narsaiah Goud, a Kandikatkur villager.
The locals expressed their anger against local MLA Rasamai Balakishan, who had remarked that there was no threat from the MMR to Kandikatkur village.
Slamming the MLA for his comments, village sarpanch M Amar Kumar told Express: “The MLA should come here now and inspect the village.
"If not on the grounds of humanity, he should at least listen to our grievances as a public representative.” But the revenue authorities have assured them that they would assess losses and take action.
Sarpanch also told Express that they were going to district headquarters on Monday, in order to submit a memorandum to the collector seeking the declaration of Kandikatkur as a submerged village.
The villagers staged a protest near the protection wall of MMR. They had asked locals to evacuate the village as there were more chances of flood here than Manwada village, located on left side of reservoir. “But now, government is completely neglecting us. Our protests will continue,” sarpanch said.