Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
When heavy rains came down on Mukkodlu in Kodagu, a hilly region more than 20 kilometers away from the district quarters, the village witnessed extensive damage.
After the Kodagu floods inundated the area and left roads damaged, more than 200 people were stranded. When the Indian Army was deployed for rescue operations, Mukkodlu became a priority mission.
As roads leading to the village were inaccessible, rescue workers had to trek through the coffee estates and forest to reach those stranded.
By Wednesday, 22 August, once the rain subsided, many who left Mukkodlu went back to the see the damage, including those rehabilitated in relief camps, and planters, who wanted to check on their estates.
Retracing the Route
The Quint joined one such group on its way to the estate – a man and his two nephews. The fully operational road to the estate ends at Madapura, a village at the base of the hill. The road from Madapura to the estate in Mukkodlu was either damaged or washed way.
Taking their chances, the trio drove their jeep through treacherous terrain. After driving for about 4 kilometres, they reached a dead-end which was blocked by a landslide.
While one of them went looking for an alternative route, another spotted a television set placed by the road, adjacent to the river in which the debris of a washed-away house was floating.
Someone must have tried to take everything they could before the rain took their house, but I think, they must have realised they can’t take everything with them and left the television behind.Rohan Cariappa, the younger brother.
Inching Through Sludge and Water
Nanjappa, the elder brother returned by then, but with bad news: they will have to ditch their jeep and trek for another 4 kilometres to reach the estate.
Less than 10 minutes into the walk, the group encountered a road filled with sludge from a landslide. Soon enough the group was in knee-deep sludge. Covering a stretch of 200 meters took more than half an hour with the sludge slowing them down.
Once they braved that, they had to cross a stream.
As the banks of the stream were lined with loose mud, they decided to cross the stream instead of walking along the muddy bank. It was only after walking for little over 500 meters, did they realise that a part of the stream was, in fact, the main road – now inundated with water from the hills.
State of the Estate
To their relief, after these obstacles, the rest of the road to the estate was clear. But it was a steep uphill road, which was otherwise covered on jeeps. On the way, the group stopped at a relative’s house, which was part damaged.
They found two dogs at the house and fed them before resuming their journey.
At the estate, there were serious damages, but they had anticipated it. Nanjappa, after a more than half an hour’s inspection, concluded that at least 6 acres of their 22-acre estate had been destroyed. Most of the damage was inflicted by the river that ran through their estate.
It will take months to recover it. We will come back again to see what work needs to be done.Nanjappa, Elder brother
A Village Wiped Clean
After taking stock of the damage, they decided to visit Thandipala, a village nearby, where severe landslides were reported. After walking for 2 kilometers, the group realised the village was inaccessible, even by foot, as it was entirely flooded.
While on the road, they could spot the area where a friend’s house once stood – now washed away by the deluge.
Unable to move any further, a decision was taken to return – another 4 kilometers of trekking and a drive through the broken road.
The Long Road Back Home
On reaching Madapura again, The Quint saw another group of villagers venturing into the Igodlu estate, another section of Mokkadlu hill, from where several people were rescued by the army.
These villagers, who were in the relief camp in Madapura for three days, had decided to return home, to whatever was left of it.
On top of Igodlu estate, a guest house stood on the edge. The adjacent hill had been washed in a landslide. The result was a cavity, which looked like a valley. Villagers said the house was now out of bounds as it could collapse anytime.
Bina, a daily wage worker returning home said she didn’t want to stay in the rescue camp anymore. She wanted to rebuild their broken house. But she knows that it will take a lot of time and support from people across the country.
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