In two Karnataka villages located on either side of the Gangavali river, familiar, everyday sights – the fragrance of chai on the boil in a teashop along the highway, truck drivers pulling up to stretch their weary limbs and halt for a cup of tea or a quick shower – suddenly changed to scenes of death and destruction earlier this month, when a landslide wreaked havoc and took several lives. The landslide that hit Shirur village in Uttara Kannada district on the morning of July 16, swept away everything in its path, including a teashop, trucks, and people on National Highway-66. On the other side of the river, in Uluvare village, residents said the river water rose like a “tsunami wave” after the landslide, destroyed several houses, fishing equipment, and led to the death of a 52-year-old woman. In all, eight bodies have been recovered since the landslide and three people remain missing. The ongoing search operation has been massive, involving the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force, the Army, and the Navy. It has continued for the nearly two weeks that have passed since the disaster. Inside the tea shop The tea shop had no name or board, but drivers and passengers who passed this stretch of the highway connecting Karwar and Mangaluru knew where to stop. Almost always, they would be greeted by owner Lakshman Naik and his family, along with a big poster of the late Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar. On July 16, when the landslide hit, Naik (42), his wife Shanti (36), and their children Avantika (6) and Roshan (11) were in the tea shop. So were truck drivers and patrons Arjun (30) and Saravana (39), who had stopped for cups of tea. The landslide swept the teashop away and took all those inside with it. The bodies of Naik and his family, and of Saravana, were found during the search operation. The quest to find Arjun continues, while his truck was located deep beneath the river. Srinivas Naik, Lakshman’s brother-in-law, told The Indian Express that Lakshman had been running the eatery for the last 20 years. During the monsoon season, a small waterfall formation takes shape near the hotel on one of the boulders, and Lakshman would let truck drivers use this water to shower and freshen up. He also placed a small stone near the waterfall to allow people to wash their clothes. “He did not hesitate to help these lorry drivers. He welcomed them with open arms and ensured that all the drivers get what they need during their journey,” said Srinivas. “On the day of the landslide, Lakshman, his wife and children were all in the eatery. Right after the landslide swept them away, I got a call from villagers. I rushed to the spot. The Gangavali river was monstrous… swallowing everything – from shops to trucks. There was literally a hill on the river,” Srinivas recalled. Four members of Srinivas’s family were washed away, and their bodies were later located downstream. Two drivers and their trucks Truck driver Arjun, from Kozhikode, was in Lakshman’s tea shop when the landslide struck. His uncle Abhilash Chathamangalam said Arjun had been the backbone of his family since his father's health complications when he was in class 10. Arjun later discontinued his studies and took up work as a painter, and then as a cleaner, before eventually becoming a truck driver. “He took the onus of his entire family on himself. Through his hard work, he managed to help his elder sister become a bank manager, his younger sister to pursue nursing, and his younger brother with his school education,” said Abhliash. On the day of the landslide, Arjun was going to Kozhikode with timber. He was also making arrangements to celebrate his son’s birthday. “Arjun kept telling his family that he had to earn money as his son’s birthday was coming up in the last week of July. He was driving day and night the entire month to ensure his son’s birthday was celebrated in a grand way,” said Abhilash. Arjun is also an active political worker for the Left in Kozhikode. According to his uncle, Arjun regularly distributed food and other essentials to the poor in state-run hospitals. “Arjun was a person who could take challenges head on. He was a good crisis manager – something he mastered after his father’s death,” said Abhilash. The search for Arun has got incessant coverage in Malayalam TV channels, but Abhilash said the family knew it would be difficult to find him alive. “But we still have some hope left,” he said. With Arjun in the tea shop that day was Saravana, an LPG tanker driver from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu. Saravana’s brother-in-law Senthil Kumar describes him as someone who focused all his energies on working. “He comes from a very poor family and all he knew was driving. He was a man of few words, and didn’t have many friends. He wanted to earn enough for his six-year-old son,” said Senthil. Whenever he got a break from work, he would go home. “In fact, on July 16, he had informed his wife that he would be coming to Namakkal for a break. He made the call while he had stopped at (Lakshman’s) eatery. That was his last call,” said Senthil. On the other side In the village on the other side of the river, 52-year-old Sanni Hanumathagouda had lit firewood and was preparing kanji (porridge) when the river swelled up and swept her away. While some residents say it was the explosion of Saravana’s LPG tanker that triggered the river water to come down in the form of a massive wave, others say it was the force of the debris washed into the river by the landslide. “She was so engrossed in household chores that she didn’t notice the disaster unfolding outside. Her son works as a labourer in construction sites and he is the breadwinner of the family,” said Padma K, her cousin. Nobody from the administration has visited Uluvare since the incident, said Nagaraj Naik, a resident. “The main occupation for us is fishing. Our fishing nets, boats and houses have been destroyed because of the landslide and incessant rains. The government has set up a relief centre in one of the government schools in the village for those affected by the devastation. But unfortunately, the real beneficiaries are sidelined. Nobody has visited us and heard our grievances. How should we lead our lives from here on?,” said Nagaraj.
