The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) is calling on the Karnataka State government to take immediate action in Aland taluk, Kalaburagi district. They demand urgent restoration of vital transport services and prompt compensation for farmers and villagers devastated by recent heavy rains and severe flooding.
During a statement released in Kalaburagi on Tuesday, AIKS district president Bhimashankar Madiyal highlighted the dire situation. For the past four days, bus services to 25 villages, including Nimbarga, Madiyal, Yalasangi, Hatalgi, Nimbal, Dudani, Dongapur, Battarga, Kudaki, and Hittal Shirur, have been completely cut off. This disruption is a direct result of a bridge collapse on the Nimbarga-Ganagapur-Bommanahalli Main Road, caused by unrelenting heavy rainfall.
The suspension of services has led to immense suffering. Students struggle to reach schools and colleges in Kalaburagi city, farmers are unable to transport their essential produce like vegetables and foodgrains to markets, and critically, patients are left without access to vital medical care. The humanitarian impact is significant, Mr. Madiyal emphasized.
Mr. Madiyal further highlighted the catastrophe in Madiyal village, where a critical tank breached its banks. This led to hundreds of homes and agricultural fields being submerged, resulting in devastating financial losses for local farmers.
In response, AIKS demands that the government provide ₹20,000 in compensation to every affected family. Furthermore, they insist on the immediate reconstruction of the damaged tank to prevent future disasters.
The AIKS president directly attributed the tank breach to the negligence of the Minor Irrigation Department, citing a lack of proper maintenance as the root cause.
Concerns were also raised about the broader road infrastructure. Mr. Madiyal noted that the Hittal Shirur-Nimbarga stretch of a newly planned road has been left unfinished for two years, with only a layer of gravel laid down, making it hazardous.
This incomplete road has already caused numerous accidents, rendering travel perilous. The AIKS insists on the swift completion of this project. Additionally, they are calling for the urgent upgrade and widening of the Nimbarga-Bommanahalli-Vaijapur Road, which provides a crucial link to the Dudani National Highway in Maharashtra.
Mr. Madiyal issued a stern warning: ‘The State government and elected representatives must act immediately. Should these critical demands be ignored, the AIKS will be left with no alternative but to initiate a widespread agitation.’ This emphasizes the urgency and the potential for public unrest if solutions aren’t provided.