Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SS)

Mangaluru, Jul 12: This village becomes an island during the monsoon as hundreds of acres of agricultural land get submerged in the rainwater. Around 30 families that live here have to take the boat to come out of their homes or to even buy provisions for their homes.

The monsoon brings with it untold miseries to these families as they are dependent on the boats for all their needs. The administration which is aware of the condition of these families have turned a blind eye to them.

Welcome to Mogerkudru village of Adyapady situated on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. When it rains heavily, the whole village gets submerged. Similar was the situation this year when it rained three-four days back when the village remained submerged for two days. There is only one approach road to this village and when it rains the road gets flooded and the families living in this village are forced to become prisoners of water. This is not a story about this monsoon. But, it is the same whenever there is heavy rainfall.

Living for the families in the Mogerkudru village has turned into a curse in recent years which was prosperous for its coconut, paddy, banana and vegetable produce just a decade ago. Villagers feel that the unscientific dam that has been built across Phalguni river has resulted in this problem. Ever since the dam has come up the villagers have had to complain about their village getting flooded. When the water is not allowed to go out of the dam it results in artificial flooding of the area. Other villages that are also affected include Moodushedde, Padushedde, Gurupura and Kolambe where agricultural lands get submerged.

Last year, the Mogerkudru village was submerged for more than one-and-a-half months resulting in crop loss to the farmers. Even areca nut trees died due to excess accumulation of water and the yield of coconuts also plummeted. However, this year farmers were engaged in growing paddy by the time the crop had been cultivated and monsoon arrived resulting in in the fields getting submerged in the rainwater.

Villagers are of the opinion that hydraulic gates should be used on both ends of the dam that are 30 metres apart and excess water should be released through them. Once the monsoon is over they say water can be stored in the dam.