In Gadag district, villages are increasingly resembling old age homes due to a significant migration of youth and able-bodied men seeking employment in urban areas. The lack of local industries and recent challenges like heavy rainfall and crop failures have exacerbated the situation, driving young people away in search of better opportunities.
The absence of industries in the region has left villagers idle, with senior citizens remaining behind while the younger generation moves to cities. In an effort to address the unemployment issue, farmers from Halligudi and neighboring areas have proposed offering 1,500 acres of land for industrial development. This comes after a failed attempt in 2011 when POSCO abandoned plans for a steel plant in the region due to political and logistical hurdles. The project, if it had materialized, could have provided over 10,000 jobs.
Currently, most entrepreneurs are focused on the mineral-rich Kappatagudda hills, a biodiversity hotspot that has been the subject of conservation campaigns. Villagers have appealed to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) and other authorities to support industrial initiatives in their area. Rajesh Diggavi, a Halligudi resident, emphasized the need for industries to provide employment opportunities for at least one person from each family to combat the migration issue.
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