One village Jodupala; families divided into three!

• No clue on the whereabouts of Manjula

Sullia: Pin drop silence covers Jodupala which suffered a natural disaster. The village which existed peacefully at in the bosom of the nature is presently divided into three parts by the very nature’s dance of destruction.

There were 200 houses in the peaceful village of Jodupala. But since a week, more than 95% of its residents have locked their homes and have taken sanctuary in gruel centres. The residents of most houses have not returned back and the reason for them to be apprehensive to return back is because of the weather forecast which aligns towards possible rains.

Three divisions

Members of a single family have been divided into different gruel centres resembling a house divided into three sections. Though the villagers belong to a single village, they have been divided between the gruel centres in Cherambani, Madikeri, Sullia areas. Due to the August 16^th floods, the residents have become directionless. If a few sought sanctuary at the gruel centres in Madikeri, the remaining registered at the gruel centers in Madenadu and Koyanadu. When the condition in Jodupala worsened, few other residents crossed the gushing water torrents hanging on to ropes and reached gruel centers at Aranthodu, Kallugundi and Sampaje.

Family burial

More than 20 houses have been destroyed. Three members of the Basappa family have lost their lives, while there is no clue of another family member who still remains missing. The only survivor is the son, Mohit.

Angara, a resident of the 2^nd Monnangeri which is nearby to Jodupala, lost his life at the gruel centre after he succumbed to a cardiac arrest. Already 4 persons have lost their lives and there is no clue on the whereabouts of Manjula.

No clear picture

Since conditions in Devarakolli, Sampaje and Arekkal regions has returned to normal following which affected families of that region have returned back to their homes. The affected from Jodupala have taken up sanctuary at gruel centres in Madikeri, Cherambani and Sullia, and are eager to return back to their homes. But since the conditions at Jodupala still remain precarious, the officials have not permitted their return for safety reasons.

Documents lost ?

There are several labor class families in Jodupala. There is a fear that they might have lost their documents to the natural disaster. There is no proof if the property papers, ration card, education certificates are safe or not, says Vasant, a person in at gruel centre.