Nearly two months after the tragic death of 10 women workers of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in a landslip, Teelair village of Marikal mandal in Narayanpet district is limping back to normalcy with the victim families coming to terms with the reality.
Yet, the dreadful memories are still haunting them as those who are in need of wage work in the absence of any farm-related work in the lean season have refused to take up work even in the vicinity of the site of the tragic incident. According to MGNREGS officials, a section of wage seekers of the village have asked for work during the last week of May, but in vain as there was no other possible listed work available.
“The only other listed work available is de-silting of minor irrigation tank of the village. However, it is not possible to take up as the tank still has water sourced from Koilsagar lift irrigation scheme impounded for the last rabi crop. As a result, no wage work was given to the needy workers in spite of the demand,” a functionary of the employment guarantee scheme said requesting not to be quoted.
As a blessing in disguise, the village and its surroundings witnessed a heavy bout of overnight rain on Saturday giving rise to the hope that farm-related work would become available to wage seekers as the kharif cultivation works are set to pick up momentum. “We have been waiting for a good bout of rain so that farm work is taken up including sowing operations,” G. Venkatrumulu, a farmhand of the village said.
The process of paying compensation to the victim families was in the completion stage with about eight families already getting ₹5 lakh ex-gratia payment each. A couple of victim families have also got another ₹5 lakh each under Rythu Bima scheme in view of the fact that the deceased women had land in their name.
“District officials are also working on providing admission to children in the school-going age in three victim families in government-run residential schools. The promise of double-bedroom houses is, however, likely to consume more time as the houses would be constructed along with those sanctioned to others in the village at once,” the MGNREGS functionary told The Hindu .
Meanwhile, Manemma, a wage-seeker, who was seriously injured in the landslip incident that took place on April 10, has also returned home. after over a month-long treatment for her multiple fractures at Mahabubnagar Government Hospital.
