Five years after the devastating landslides in Kodagu district, victims continue to struggle without government compensation. The 2018 disaster, which extended into 2019, resulted in significant loss of life and property, including a deadly landslide in Korangala, Madikeri taluk, that claimed ten more lives.
Among the survivors is Lakshman, who suffered severe injuries with his hip bone fractured in three places. Despite undergoing treatment in Madikeri and Sullia, his condition deteriorated, rendering him nearly immobile. Lakshman, who previously worked as a daily wage laborer, now relies on his elderly mother’s pension for survival and has yet to receive any government compensation.
The tragedy also left three young girls orphaned when their parents, Balakrishna and Yamuna, were buried alive in the Korangala landslide. The girls, who were too young to grasp the magnitude of their loss at the time, have since grown up. They live in a makeshift house and depend on the eldest daughter, Lakshita, to manage their education expenses. Despite promises from the then District Collector, Kanmani Joy, to provide employment once the girls reached adulthood, they are now told that no such promise was made. The local community is calling for the government to fulfill these promises and provide the family with a proper home and secure employment.
In another case, Yashwanth’s family, whose home was destroyed, has also not received compensation. They were informed that the panchayat had already provided a replacement house, despite ongoing difficulties. Similarly, Prasanna, who lost his home, expressed frustration at the lengthy and unproductive efforts to obtain compensation, which only led to additional expenses.
As the fifth anniversary of the landslides approaches, the victims remain in dire need of government assistance to rebuild their lives.