Mangaluru: Surrounded by lush green fields, Pandyar and Nadodi are peaceful and serene areas located near Kutharguthu in Munnur gram panchayat in Mangaluru taluk. However, despite being a calm and picturesque location, these areas are almost deserted with the local residents abandoning their homes and moving elsewhere.
In Pandyar and Nadodi hamlets that sit on approximately five acres of plains, there are around a dozen Muslim families residing among the fields. Woe is that, the living conditions become miserable during the monsoons for these families, due to continuous flooding of the fields and their homes.
Meanwhile, there is no visible road between the area where houses are located and the nearest town. With extreme deficiency of basic facilities, five of the families have already resorted to move elsewhere after abandoning their homes.
Since Pandyar and Nadodi are low-lying areas, almost all the fields are flooded with water during the rains making living close to impossible for the families. If they were able to traverse amid the fields to the nearest road or town during the summer months, this is not possible during the monsoons.
Despite several pleas along the years for help from the authorities to construct a proper road for their convenience, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. With no official taking an interest in their welfare, the families have finally opted to shift elsewhere.
From Pandyar, one family has left behind their home and shifted to a housing colony in nearby Ullal town, while four families have abandoned houses in Nadodi. Without any maintenance, the deserted houses are also likely to collapse after sometime.
Those who are financially unable to leave their homes behind, have several girls of marriageable age among them. To their despair, no prospective grooms have come forward so far to marry the girls, since there is no road leading to their village. Due to this, the girls have remained unmarried resulting in the shifting of a few families.
On the other hand, attending school regularly is still a distant dream for the children among the residing families, owing to flooding of the fields and lack of a proper road.
Living in such deplorable condition, the residents of Pandiyar and Nadodi have to fend for themselves and survive through the odds, being cut off from the rest of the village. In reality, living has become a much more difficult task for these families. In case of illnesses during the monsoon, there is no option but to wait until the flooding has receded to fetch necessary medical aid.
One of the local residents, Ashraf, said that the lack of constructing a connecting road was a sign of neglect by the local elected representatives. From the past 15 years, despite several requests submitted at panchayat level, taluk level and district level authorities or representatives, no one has heeded the problems of the locals, making it miserable to continue living in the remote areas, he said. (Photos by Moany Gatty)
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