Mangalore: House in City Crumbles, Owner Dies
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Aug 29: Sundari (72), a resident of Vidyanagar, Panjimogaru near Kulur lost her life when her house crumbled to the ground on Sunday August 28 morning. The area had been flooded twice in the past because of encroachment of drains and improper arrangements for flow of rainwater.
This is one of the many incidents of houses crumbling reported from the region ever since monsoons began.
The other five members of the family escaped to safety at the last moment. The family members were busy with their daily chores, when their neighbours saw that the house was crumbling. They raised an alarm, upon which Sundari, her daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, fled outside. While the youngsters could save themselves, Sundari, who could not move faster, was crushed under the debris.
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Krishna J Palemar, visited the family and consoled its members. He announced that the affected family will be given one lac rupees as compensation, and that their house will be re-built with the support of local people.
It is analyzed that the bricks of the house walls had absorbed moisture because of the standing water in the region during the times it was flooded. The locals told the minister that the tragedy could have been averted if the city corporation had properly maintained drains and underground drainage.
Local corporator, R Shanta, Dayanand Panjimogaru, and others got involved with the task of extricating the body of Sundari from under the debris.
Sundari lived in utter poverty since her young days. Her son, Srinivas, died young. She lived with her daughter-in-law, Pushpa, and four grandchildren. Recently, the roof of the house had been repaired at a cost of Rs 30,000 by availing jewellery loan, it is gathered.