Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (MS)

Puttur, May 22: It's panic time for the residents of Siribagilu village in the taluk as Monsoon begins every year. During every monsoon Therebeedi and Amtur villagers of Siribagilu feel concerned about one more monsoon that needs to be spent in fear. Life for the villagers of Siribagilu that lies in between thick forests of Western Ghats plateau is a continuous struggle.

People of Therebeedi and Amtur depend on Subramanya or Gundya for their basic needs like medical facilities and education. However, they have to cross a huge pond in order to go to these places.

During summer the water level in the pond is of knee height and people including children and elderly cross it without much effort. However, the same pond fills to the brim during the monsoon. For the same reason children and parents live on either side. The arecanut tree plank that is tied across the pond also gets washed away many times.

Though there are two approaching roads to these remote villages, one has the danger of attack from wild elephants, while the other has the pond issue. Villagers have been pleading with the administration for many years to build a hanging bridge at least for them to pass over the pond during monsoon. But their appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

Moreover, a private individual has done some changes around the pond for his convenience, which has further aggravated the difficulties of the villagers. This individual has encroached the small road that connects the village.

During monsoon most of the villagers migrate to other areas. However, sometimes if they have to return to their village for some urgent work, they cannot cross over the pond.