Udupi: Baavali Kudru residents demand bridge to the mainland

February 16, 2011

Udupi, Feb 16: As many as 30 Christian families, living in Baavali Kudru, an island, spread across 100 acres since six generations have demanded for a permanent bridge connecting the Kudru to the mainland Neelavar, near Brahmavar.

During rainy seasons River Sita inundates many parts of the island. In the year 1969 floods made the residents to shift from their houses, to the safer places. In the absence of a bridge, residents have resorted to small boats as a means of transport.

Many families of `Baavali Kudru' (Bats' Island) near Brahmavar in Udupi taluk have already abandoned the island and students from many other families have been staying in their relatives house outside the island, fearing to cross the river during rainy season. These families have been struggling since 30 years to get a bridge connecting the island sanctioned by the government.

Though the Zilla Panchayath has prepared an estimate of Rs 33 lakhs for constructing a bridge, the process has not taken the momentum, for the short of funds. Prashanth Neelavara, a resident of Baavali Kudru said that Rajyasabha member Oscar Fernandies has allotted Rs 15 lakhs from his MP's Local Area Development Fund and Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat has agreed to give Rs 5 lakhs from his MLA fund. Still they need another Rs 13 lakhs to start the work.

According to Silvia, "Now I have learnt pulling the boat. Can you imagine we peddling the boat during rainy season?''. She said that she had not admitted her six year old boy to the school, as he is scared of crossing the river in a boat.

Apolin, another resident of Baavali Kudru, recalls two of her sons luckily surviving a boat tragedy, while crossing the River Seeta. Apolin's son doing his diploma resides in his relatives house in Brahmavar, to avoid the hassles. According her newly married daughters in law hesitate to live in the Island and ultimately vacate the island to live in rented houses in the mainland.

One Joseph D'souza takes the residents from one riverbank to another. According to him many of the residents of the island take the boat themselves. Will their dream to have a bridge come true soon?

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Block, district presidents in Karnataka will be changed soon: KPCC working president

News Network

September 14,2024

Mangaluru: The block level and District Congress Committee presidents in the state will be changed in the next one month for better reach into society and bring in organisational fortification, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president G C Chandrasheker on Saturday.

The All India Congress Committee and KPCC have a vision for bringing a change in how the party works with the last man and woman in the state, he said at a press conference here.

"We are looking at bringing development models into the state with a new vision. We are a party that likes to work with the opposition in the developmental aspects and keep all other matters away that do not relate to the development of the state.

"We have a great respect for the people of the coast who are considered to be forward-looking and perceptible, but it is also true that we do not have the numbers in the upper house and in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)," he said.

"Our endeavour is to not only create a strong pro-development workforce at the base level by strengthening the second and third level leadership in the state," he said.

Chandrasheker, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, said that he and his four colleagues of the rank of working presidents of the KPCC are going to every district to infuse the new thinking in our workers and leaders.

"This move will get a new surge considering the party is facing byelections in Shiggaon, Chennapatna and Sandhur segments and also vacant seats in the legislative council, followed by elections to the Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats" he said.

When asked about the reason for the changes, Chandrashekar said most of the people have already lived their tenures. The party wants to reward those who have not been given tickets to contest in the 2023 state assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections for political reasons.

There are quite good leaders and hard-working ground level workers who have great potential to lead the party in the coming years, he said.

"Women will get at least one top post in all District Congress Committees and block levels. There is also a move to give responsible positions for the workers and leaders coming from different strata of society, which are deliverable. The party will not shy away from it," he said.

The other two working presidents, Dr Manjunath Bhandary and Vasanth Kumar, were also present at the press conference.

Kumar said some of the regions in the state are dominated by the BJP. "We want to end this run and defeat the divisive models of the BJP." Bhandary said the Indian National Congress was aiming at a high development phase in the state and involve the opposition parties and their leaders in the development plans in the state.

Comments