Udupi: Villagers of Sooladpu, Manoor, Kaikoor, Giliyar, Chitrapady, Karkada, and Kavady villages in Brahmavar taluk urged the govt to take up desilting of the natural water stream immediately. They fear that the villages may witness flooding during the next year’s monsoon too, if desilting is not taken up.Raitha Dhwani Kota president Jayaram Shetty told reporters that with no desilting work taken up in waterbodies, the villages have been witnessing artificial flooding every year. He warned that a mass protest would be staged in front of the Brahmavar tahsildar’s office if no action is taken to desilt the stream within 15 days.The issue was brought to the notice of officials several times. However, no action has been taken to solve the issue. As a result, farmers cultivating hundreds of acres in villages face problems. The Karnataka Neeravari Nigama Limited (KNNL) has been requested to release Rs 4.5 crore immediately. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar approved a proposal that the Raitha Dhwani Kota sent in this regard last year. The issue was discussed in the general meetings of six gram panchayats, and the Saligrama town panchayat adopted a resolution to this effect, Shetty said.Stating that several residents in low-lying areas of the villages faced difficulties due to artificial flooding in previous years. Further, several roads, including the one that connects Giliyar with Saibarkatte via Belur and Kota, were cut off due to flooding.“After we apprised the situation arising out of silt accumulation in villages, the deputy chief minister recommended the KNNL take up the desilting work by earmarking Rs 4.5 crore. Later, engineers sent a detailed estimate to the chief engineer of KNNL, Upper Tunga Project Zone, Shivamogga. However, the work has not been taken up, and even the tender has not been floated yet,” Shetty said, adding that the negligence on the part of the authorities will lead to worsening of the situation in villages.
