Mangaluru: “We’ve lost it all — rice, clothes… now we’re terrified our home might collapse.” These were the emotional words of two families from Attavar, now seeking shelter at the city corporation’s relief centre in Town Hall after floodwaters inundated their homes.
The victims include elderly women Saraswati and Susheela, along with their families, who were forced to flee when overflowing stormwater from a nearby canal poured into their homes, damaging essential items like food grains, clothes, and medicines. Initially, they found refuge at a local bhajan mandir, but later shifted to the relief centre, accompanied by two small children.
Susheela, her daughter Sarita, and Sarita’s two children lived near Shrikrishna Bhajan Mandir. Saraswati, who resides alone in Vaidyanathanagar, was also displaced after water entered her rented home.
Susheela’s house, made of mud walls, now has visible cracks and remains waterlogged. “We ran with just the clothes on us. My children’s schoolbooks were hanging on the wall — I don’t even know if they’re intact. I left my BP medicine behind,” she shared with teary eyes.
She added that although their home had previously seen minor flooding, this year’s damage was unprecedented. “We’ve stayed on this land for over five decades. If only a retaining wall was built for the canal, this could’ve been prevented.”
Saraswati echoed similar anguish: “I live alone and survive on food from nearby eateries. Now even my shelter is gone.”
According to MCC Commissioner Ravichandra Naik, residents from 12 houses were evacuated, with only two families choosing the relief centre while others stayed with relatives.
Read Also: