SIDDAIAGHATTA(CHIKBALLAPUR): Even as the district is yet to recover from the shock of the drowning death of four kids of the Manasa Orphanage in Chikkballapur on Monday, another incident was reported on Tuesday.
Four girls who went to wash clothes drowned in the Dadamghatta Chikka Kere (small lake) in Dadamghatta village of Siddlaghatta taluk around 4 pm.The deceased have been identified as Mallika (14), Nandini (12), Munirathna (13) and Nalini (12). It is said that all the girls were close friends.
While washing clothes, Mallika slipped into the lake. Immediately, the other girls rushed to rescue her and also drowned. The tragedy occurred in the presence of Mallika’s mother who was a little away from the girls.
Mallika’s mother raised an alarm for the help. Villagers rushed to the spot but were too late. Shankarappa, a youth, said due to lack of water, the villagers are forced to wash their clothes in the lakes. Though there is no safety, at the same time, there is no alternative as well, he added.
Another youth criticized the elected-representatives including the Gram Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat members for not taking appropriate steps to provide a pipeline for washing clothes.
A pall of gloom descended Dadamghatta village after the incident. Chikballapur Deputy Commissioner M V Venkatesh termed the incident as unfortunate. “Such incidents should not be recur anywhere,” he said.
Senior police officials and revenue officers rushed to the spot. Dibbur Halli police registered a case.
Poverty Forced Those Children to Orphanage
“I admitted my two sons to the orphanage considering their future. I never thought they would die together”, said Venkatarathnamma, mother of Narasimha Murthy and Adi Narayana who drowned the in Rangadhama lake on Monday evening.
Venkatarathnamma, who reached Chikballapur, along with her family members from Manchenahalli of Gauribidanur taluk could not be consoled by her relatives at the government hospital where the boys bodies were kept.
Narayana, a relative of Venkatarathnamma, told Express that Gangadharappa, the father of victims, is an alcoholic.
Considering the future of their four children, Venkatarathnamma admitted her two sons to the Manasa Orphanage three years back.
She is taking care of the other two children. Saraswathamma, who is a widow and mother of Akshaya, said she thought of taking her son back three months ago and informed the orphanage authorities. They had assured to send him back after April 14.
Swapna, another widow and resident of Vijayapura of Devanahalli, had admitted her son Yeswanth and daughter Thanmai to the hostel as she was not able to afford their studies.
The bodies of all the four kids bodies were handed over to their parents in the presence of Women and Child Protection officers on Tuesday morning.
According to Deputy Director of Women and Child Sureka Vijaya Prakash, there are 26 students at the orphanage. Among them, 15 went to their home during the summer vacation and there were only 11 students presently at the orphanage, she said.