Report by Yogish D
Team Mangalorean Kundapura

Kundapura :   With heavy rains pouring over the past two days in and around the city,  Moodu Gopadi near Koteshwar is facing artificial flood. 

Since there is no provision for drains, the accumulating water has risen to about 2 feet in height with the result that areas connecting Dalit colony, Moodu Gopadi and Roshnidhama have been rendered  totally inaccessible. 

Dalits staying in the vicinity are panicky over the water rushing into their households.  School children find it hard to go to school.  Local shops and garage owners also face similar problem in offering their services. Water clogging the national highway has posed a threat to vehicles plying on it.

Moodu Gopadi is totally inundated.  Water has entered the house belonging to Sharada, a Dalit woman who lives with her children causing heavy damage. The place has remained flooded for the past three or four days.

On Tuesday local Beejadi gram panchayat accountant Jagadish and panchayat member Ravindra Dodmane visited and took stock of the situation.  Gopadi and Kumbhashi areas are badly affected since the drains are filled and there is no room for letting water out.  The water level has risen and situation is going out of hand.

Near Koteshwar bypass, embankment work is in progress and cement walls are being built.  On Tuesday at 4 pm,  water deposited for more than an hour as there was no drainage facility.  Kundapur police visiting the area with a mini earth-moving equipment let the water flow outside and made room for vehicles to move. Local shops and workshop had 3-ft-high water in their premises for some time.

The shore at Kodi near here is threatened by giant waves rising very high.  The residents of the area are panicky over the possible effects and damage. 

What has hurt the people more is the negligence shown by the elected representatives at all levels. They complained that no leaders visited the location for enquiring after the well-being of the people residing around.