The arrival of the monsoon may be a source of great joy for millions but for the residents of 21 villages in Sindhudurg district it means flooding and chaos every year without fail. “For the rest of the people rain may be a gift but for us it is a profanity” says Shankar Toraskar a poor farmer from Chendvan Gandhigram village. Sindhudurg receives 3200-3400 mm rainfall annually. The 21 villages are in Kudal, Kankavali, Devgad, Sawantwadi and Malvan in Sindhadurg district.
Expert claim this problem is exacerbated by the reduction in the width at the mouth of the river reducing the flow of water.
Interestingly Maharashtra government has notified this area as a ‘Blue Zone’ resulting in residents not coming under government relief funds following a disaster. The government keeps ready 5 fiber boats, 118 life jackets, life buoys on standby every year in anticipation of the floods. The residents wonder if the government plans to rehabilitate them or shift them without any compensation. “We do not want our area to be marked a Blue Zone since this will help us avail of some assistance from the government” said Pradeep Chendwadkar, a resident of Sarbal Bhatiwadi
The rivers like Karli, Kalawal, Terekhol, Sukhnadi and Gadnadi which originates in the Sahyadri valley flows through these 21 villages of the Sindhdurg district. “If it floods for more than two days then the crops are destroyed and we are unable to seek assistance due to us being in a Blue Zone” said Shraddha Jadhav resident of Kudal Amedkar Nagar.
Even the Goa-Mumbai highway floods near the Pavshi village. Residents claim that the authorities have neglected this portion of the district and they only perform their duty after the flooding. “The government even sets up control rooms for this area but fails to resolve the issue once and all” said Shekharv Shelye resident of Pavshi village.
With the government not displaying any motivation to shift these people who have to face these disasters every year it is a sad state of affairs for a people who cannot leave their ancestral property which provides them their daily bread.
