Kodagu floods: Amid challenges, postal staff deliver goods

Undeterred by personal trauma and other challenges post the floods, postmen and postwomen in Karnataka have started delivering mail and money orders to rightful recipients in government-run gruel cent
View of a landslide at Sitharam Patti near Kalur village in Kodagu following rains | Pushkar V
View of a landslide at Sitharam Patti near Kalur village in Kodagu following rains | Pushkar V

BENGALURU: Undeterred by personal trauma and other challenges post the floods, postmen and postwomen in Karnataka have started delivering mail and money orders to rightful recipients in government-run gruel centres. Mail services, which were hit for a few days in Kodagu region, resumed on Tuesday, and 339 out of the total 412 pending money orders were delivered in a single day. It was not an easy job, considering the fact that many villages are marooned and people have left their homes in search of safer places.

"Many of our staffers are themselves affected by the floods. Our visit to Madapura and post offices in eight surrounding villages revealed that the level of devastation caused by landslides was much more than what we had imagined. In such a situation, it wasn't so easy to ask and convince postal department staffers to resume their work. But when approached, they responded positively, and hence we were able to resume the services," Chief Postmaster General (CPMG), Karnataka Circle, Charles Lobo told The New Indian Express.

"One of the postmasters, Ramanna, wanted long leave in order to save his house in Kushalnagar which was submerged by the floods. Another postwoman from Hattihole, which is now a deserted village, wanted a transfer to Somwarpet post-office. We are flooded with many such requests," said Lobo, adding most of the demands have been met.

"Eight clerks from Mysuru post offices have been deployed to Kodagu district. Two more vehicles have been pressed into service to ensure that mail delivery services are not affected further," he said. Buses are not operating in the area since August 16.

Landslide leaves postman homeless

MP Ashok, a ‘Gramin Dak Sevak’ from Kandankolli branch post office, was the first to alert his neighbours about the approaching catastrophe on August 16. After an eight-hour trek and covering nearly 15 kilometres, Ashok and villagers arrived at the gruel centre in Suntikoppa. The massive landslide left no trace of his house and four-acre estate. Ashok has another big concern now: “What will happen to the education of my two daughters?” His eldest daughter was studying in Standard II at a private school in Madikeri. “The government should ensure hassle-free re-admission of children of flood-hit victims into schools,’’ Lobo said.    

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