Kodagu craves for SOS to avert relapse of calamities in near future
The onslaught of heavy downpour,water blasts,landslips,landslides and severe damage to properties including houses and coffee estates and fatal casualties in the form of human beings and domestic cattle are an eyeopener to the people of the district.At the same time they continue to pose a much dangerous threat of relapsing if immediate remedial measures are not initiated,for which the environs of the district is badly craving for.
Interestingly in spite of unheard damage due to the incessant rains and the after effects of such a thing no wild animals have faced any unnatural death according to reliable reports reaching here!In fact animal-human conflict continues to remain an unattended problem in the district and people facing the brunt as a result of it keeps continuing unabated.
Throughout the year there are any number of incidents in the district wherein people are attacked,killed along with irreparable loss to the dwellings and standing crops.At the same time many wild elephants succumb to live electric wires used for fencing the coffee plantations while many domestic animals are lifted by the carnivorous one's during late night attacks.
But despite the ongoing man and beast tussle no animal in the wild has been found hurt which looks amazing and at the same time makes you wonder about the instincts these animals possess to foresee the tragic circumstances and shift to safer environs!
Strange it may look but it happens to be a ground reality here unlike in Kerala where many domestic cattle and wild beasts perished due to release of water from the dams full to the maximum level.
Srikanth Ravi is a planter of Hattihole near Somwarpet Taluk,owning 30 acres of coffee plantations.He lives in his estate with 30 laborers and narrowly managed to escape from the recent rains and floods fury.However a portion of his house was damaged as underground water oozed out into the hall.A few days before the catastrophe Sheeba,Srikanth's wife happened to glance a herd of bison coming down from a hilltop and silently moving over to plain lands!Bisons' are not totally unheard animals in the district but not hitherto noticed in the terrains of Hattihole.
The inference is,says Srikanth Ravi:Animals seem to have the instinct of coming to know the danger ahead and move to safer places.But in order to thwart the forthcoming danger in the form of relapse of what has taken a toll the district and state administration have a greater responsibility of initiating remedial measures immediately.The district administrative machinery by and large has been applauded for the hectic efforts in saving,rescuing and sheltering the people caught unawares.But much more needs to be done in order to prevent similar tragedies in the near future.
Of course there's an urgent necessity of a proper political will to undertake such measures it doesn't looks like forthcoming as the two BJP MLAs' and the lone BJP MP are averse to shifting the people from the deep forest regions,on the recommendations of the Kasturirangan committee report.On the contrary vested interests are reported to be busy in lobbying for the transfer of the incumbent district commissioner!
Another noteworthy factor here is the piquant situation of the district administration building on the top of a hillock itself being endangered in the recent calamity!Many landslips and landslides have been noticed close by the mountainous region surrounding the DC office and a repetition of similar havoc may see the building submerged into the mud!
It's not that this huge state government building alone which is in under threat as the fate of the district medical college,again on another hill top is in no better position!The hilly terrain on which the medical college has been built has also developed enough cracks hinting at possible danger in the eventuality of unprecedented rains.
MA Ajbutullah Khan,a planter of Napoklu becomes candid in foreseeing the tragic days:Even DC office is in danger as it has been built on a slope,loose soil terrain.Poor people build houses on such mountainous range out of ignorance and for not being in a affordable position to buy site in urban area.But what prevailed upon the government officials to go ahead with the building project knowing fully the landscape dynamics.Likewise the medical college building has also come up on a hill spending 256 crores.What can you expect from similar rains in the days to come?
Basavaraj Kadkol,an architect based out of Bengaluru has altogether a different analysis of the Kodagu aftermath:In India environment is not a subject wherein subject experts can make money.Hence environmental concerns are hardly worried about.
His wife Meenakshi Angadi although an alumnus from the prestigious Ahmadabad architectural institute with a postgraduate degree in environmental engineering works for a NGO.
He opines:Land has got its own structural characteristics.Just because something looks fancy and attractive you cannot ignore the soil formations and build the way you wish.
On landslides in Kodagu his take is:Landslides have taken place due to unscientific planning of structures in Eco sensitive zone.
We have scant respect for environmental concerns.In the United States,they don't plunder into sand mining or use natural materials for construction.For instance the 1,250 feet tall Empire State building was built in 1931 without using natural materials.Since those days they have been using steel and 57,000 tons of steel and 10 million bricks have been deployed for the purpose,he explains.
On the other hand,Basavaraj Kadkol laments:But here we have least botheration about the concerns of nature and have been harnessing natural resources for all our construction requirements.Countries like the US have progressed because they have the utmost care for environment.
Interestingly,he feels:US doesn't manufacture steel or gasoline and petroleum products although there's no dearth of these natural resources.Instead they import it from third world countries like us and many other.And to cap up all such statements he declares:We perform puja to all natural elements and at the same time exploit the same to the maximum level.
Probably in the context of Kodagu disaster Basavaraj Kadkol's opinion makes much sense since Kodavas profess to be nature lovers and the rituals they practice to pay obeisance to 'Mother Cauvery' and 'Devara Kaadu'(God's Forests') are immense.But over a period of time what they have been equally responsible in denuding the forest cover under the duress of fast money and plundering the natural resources in every way possible needs to be given an introspection if at all the remaining portion of evergreen forests needs to be preserved for the future generations!
-Manohar Yadavatti
blog handled by Infinity Techsyst Dharwad,Karnataka,India
We never realise but continue to exploit the nature in the name of civilisation, development or progress. Bottom line is disastrous are obvious because of don't care attitude towards nature.
ReplyDeleteAgreed on the civilization and fast money. Technology has grown to higest level and every nation is on the same page of natural disaster and usage of natural resource. Just to top the race of globalisation we have not been supporting the people, essentially the residents of such location, safety measures are equally important to every citizens.
ReplyDeleteIgnorance of small.;Spendingthe funds wisely is a major concern, than the party tactics implemented only at the larger population.
Brilliantly written Sir. So much of research and work gone in. The threat still looms large .
ReplyDeleteKrishna itnal, a thorough investigation well done by you.before another calamity takes place,it is not govt but coorga people themselves should stand united,to protect themselves,by going through the contents of this article.. Or else the mere existence of kodagu will be vanished. alarming article , keep it up.
Delete