Landslide cuts off Uttara Kannada's Suligeri village, people stranded for three weeks: Report
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Suligeri: Thirty-five families in the village of Suligeri in Uttara Kannada have reportedly been stranded for over three weeks without power, fuel, or access to basic services after a landslide near Kodasalli cut off all road and communication links. Despite the critical situation, the landslide site has remained untouched for the past 10 days, raising concerns over the safety and well-being of the villagers.
According to a report by The New Indian Express published on Saturday, heavy rainfall triggered the landslide, bringing down three electric poles and cutting off road access. The village has been left without power since, severely impacting daily life and access to basic services. There is also a growing concern that the villagers may soon run out of essential food supplies.
Residents have reported a complete lack of lighting and kerosene, forcing families to limit activities to daylight hours. “We have dinner in the evenings and sleep early, and wait for the first light of dawn,” a local shared.
Students have been particularly affected, with some relocating to nearby towns like Kadra to continue their education while few are staying in houses of relatives as they cannot return home. A few teachers assigned to Suligeri schools have been staying on school premises since ten days due to the inability to travel back home.
The landslide has also affected two roads—one connecting Suligeri to a nearby village and another leading to the Kodasalli dam. While Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) staff are being transported across the landslide site using dedicated vehicles, no such arrangement has been made for Suligeri villagers.
KPCL’s Kodasalli reservoir, which has an installed capacity of 150 MW and currently generates 100 MW of power, is also impacted. A damaged transformer caused by heavy rains has forced the facility to rely on a diesel generator. There is a possibility that the power unit itself might plunge into darkness, the report added.
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Worker’s body reaches Ranchi from Saudi 4 months after death; family rejects over compensation
Ranchi (PTI): The body of a migrant worker from Jharkhand’s Giridih district killed in Saudi Arabia in October last year has arrived at Ranchi Airport, but his family refused to accept it over pending compensation, officials said.
Shikha Lakra, team leader of the state migrant control cell, told PTI that, before taking the body of Vijay Kumar Mahato, the family is demanding compensation from the private company where he used to work in the Arab country.
Mahato was killed in an alleged crossfire between the police and criminals.
“Since it was a bullet injury case, the matter is before a court in Jeddah. The final compensation may depend on the court’s decision,” Lakra said.
“The Indian Embassy informed us about the body’s arrival, and coordination was done with district authorities. Our role is limited to coordination in cases involving overseas employers and foreign jurisdiction,” she added.
Giridih Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav said the authorities will try to convince the family to perform the last rites.
“We have already sanctioned Rs 5 lakh under the government scheme for migrant’s deaths abroad. The compensation payment might take some time,” he said.
The body is currently at the mortuary of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
The Family members said they will only accept it if the company provides written assurance regarding compensation. “Without that assurance, we will not receive the body,” said Ram Prasad Mahato, the deceased’s brother-in-law.
Mahato, a native of Dudhpaniya village in Madh Gopali panchayat under Dumri block, was employed as a tower line fitter. His family said he was struck by a bullet during a gunfight between local police and an extortion gang and later succumbed to his injuries.
Social activist Sikander Ali said Mahato is survived by his wife, two young sons aged five and three, and elderly parents.
