Families, who settled in Uralagallu in Sagar taluk after they were displaced owing to the construction of the Linganamakki dam, have been struggling without basic amenities.
| Photo Credit: file photo
Mangaluru Electricity Supply Company (Mescom) has proposed to take up electrification of 54 households of Uralagallu village, located amid the forests of Sagar taluk in Shivamogga. The proposal is a glimmer of hope for the villagers, who have been waiting for electricity for over six decades.
Families, who settled in Uralagallu in Sagar taluk after they were displaced owing to the construction of the Linganamakki dam, have been struggling without basic amenities.
| Photo Credit:
file photo
All these years, they faced stiff opposition from the Forest Department to lay a power line in the forest area of the Kargal range. Following repeated demonstrations and a protest march in 2022, Mescom officials have worked out a proposal to supply power by providing six transformers and laying 26.8 km of underground cable and 17.25 route km of overhead low-tension line (LT line).
The Mescom officials submitted the proposal for forest clearance on March 28, 2025. For the project, with an estimated cost of ₹6.4 crore, the agency requires 1.13 hectares of forestland and non-forestland of 0.63 ha.
Praveen P., assistant executive engineer of Mescom in the Sagar division, told The Hindu that the proposal was under the scrutiny of forest officials.
When The Hindu contacted Prasanna Krishna Patagar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) in Shivamogga, he said that the proposal was being verified technically by the Information Communication Technology (ICT) wing of the department. “The team will verify the technical details and maps submitted by the project proponent. Later, it will be considered for clearance,” he added.
Families, who settled in Uralagallu in Sagar taluk after they were displaced owing to the construction of the Linganamakki dam, have been struggling without basic amenities.
| Photo Credit:
file photo
Displaced
Families, who settled in the village after they were displaced owing to the construction of the Linganamakki dam, have been struggling without basic amenities. The villagers without access to a proper road and school, send their children to residential schools at a young age. Only the parents are left in the village, looking after their plantations.
Whenever the schools resume after the vacations, the parents walk about 10 km in the forest area to drop their children at the nearest bus stop. “For several years, no officer representing the State government took the trouble to visit our village. Forget senior officers in Shivamogga, the representatives of the Bankuli panchayat have not visited the village as there is no road,” said Nagaraj S., a resident of Salakodu, a hamlet in the village.
Urualagallu is spread over Cheekanahalli, Salakodu, Dasanamane, Hebbanakeri, Munduvala, and Melur.
The residents said that their forefathers moved to the village in the 1960s, when they were displaced by the Sharavathi Hydro Electrict project. They felt the land was fertile for agricultural activities and settled there. They grew paddy and later shifted to plantation crops, including areca. All these years, they have not had an anganwadi centre, a school, or a health centre. Even during the elections, they have to walk at least 10 km to vote.
The nearest anganwadi centre is at Kanur, about 10 km from the village. Following a series of protests and appeals, senior officers of the Shivamogga district administration assured the people of visiting the village. “But the officers did not visit us. They held a meeting at the gram panchayat office and returned,” said Mr. Nagaraj.
Published – July 20, 2025 08:11 pm IST
