KARWAR: Soon after assuming charge as chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai visited the flood-ravaged Uttara Kannada district and announced a relief package of Rs 200 crore for reconstruction and rehabilitation works.
But residents of Mallapura Gram Panchayat in Karwar taluk are unhappy that Bommai did not visit their panchayat -- which covers eight villages -- to take stock of the flood situation, which has completely destroyed 200 houses and displaced 2,000 people. They blame local officials for not bringing their plight to Basavaraj Bommai’s notice.
The chief minister on Thursday visited flood-affected Ankola and Yellapur taluks, and also Arabail Ghat, which saw 14 landslides in the recent rain. Though he was scheduled to visit Karwar, he cut short
his tour as he had to leave for Delhi.
Gram panchayat vice-president Uday Bandekar said, “No one in power visited us after the 2019 floods... On Thursday, the chief minister should have come to villages in our panchayat and witnessed the damage caused.”
"We were hoping that the chief minister would hear our grievances. The recent rain and floods had already ravaged our villages when 2.7 lakh cusecs of water from the nearby Kadra dam was released, which worsened our condition. Also, 200 houses have been completely damaged. The dam crest gates had to be opened as the inflow was high,” Gram Panchayat president Tanuja Rangaswamy told TNIE.
The dam, constructed across Kali river, was built to produce hydel power. But with the nearby Kaiga nuclear power station functional, the hydel power unit at Kadra dam is shut. According to former Karwar MLA Satish Sail, KPCL authorities released water from the dam without any warning.
“I tried to meet the chief minister at Ankola with a delegation from Mallapura. But, due to high police security, we could not even go near him.”
The villagers now want the deputy commissioner to inspect Mallapura area and want the chief minister to visit their village. “We face floods every year. Let the government relocate the entire panchayat,” Tanuja added.
The panchayat has eight villages — Bolve, Irpagge, Mallapura, Virje, Kuchegar, Hurtuga, Harur, and Balse.