Leaking new houses, flood victims back to old homes

Hubballi: Leaking roofs and lack of basic amenities in the new homes built for people hit by floods in Dharwad in 2009 is forcing many to return to their old, damaged homes and risk the prospect of once again confronting devastating floods should the nearby Benne Halla stream overflow in heavy rain.

The state government had sunk crores into building thousands of homes for flood victims with the help of NGOs in Arahatti, Amaragol, Gudisagar and Ayatti villages of Navalgund taluk.

But it hasn’t been a happy move for most as the new homes have leaking roofs and no electricity or drinking water. “We are constantly worried as the new houses could collapse any time owing to the poor quality of material used to build them by the contractors.

The administration has also not handed over the title deeds of these houses to us although three years have passed since they were built. So we are planning to return to our old houses,” says a Arahatti villager, Ramappa Hiremath.

With many flood victims already staying away from their new homes, a lot of the material used for constructing them is being stolen and they are being taken over by local rowdies who are turning them into dens of crime.

Ask Gudisar panchayat development officer, N.R. Kurthakoti and he says basic amenities have not been provided to the new homes yet as the district administration has not transferred the title deeds to the new occupants.

Besides being denied the title to their new homes, the 1,500 families displaced by the floods have not received compensation either for the crop they lost in the rain, making their misery complete.