Karnataka: For 7 months now, Koppal family in preventive isolation outside village

KOPPAL: Lockdown and the many phases of unlock have made little difference to Andanappa Dambal’s family in Ghataraddihal village here. For seven months now, the family of seven, including three children and an elderly couple, has isolated itself on the outskirts of the village and is in no hurry to leave the safe space.
Soon after the outbreak of Covid-19 in March, the family kept to their home located on the outskirts of the village.They stopped visiting the village and attending social gatherings. Andanappa, a farmer, is a Congress worker, but hasn’t stepped out even during local MLA Raghavendra Hitnal’s visits to the village in the past few months. As of Friday, Koppal has reported 272 Covid-19 deaths and 13,134 cases, of which 555 are active.
“This is not fear or panic. I’m just taking precautionary measures,” Andanappa told TOI. “If someone comes to our home, we speak to them from a distance and convince them of our commitment. I go to nearby Mundargi town thrice a month to buy groceries and once to the village to bring vegetables. Before leaving home, I send a list of provisions required on WhatsApp and the shopkeeper keeps it ready. As soon as I reach the shop, they load the items and I pay via apps.”
Andanappa’s father, Sangappa, aged 72, says they leave all the provisions in the car for 3-4 days. “We wash the vegetables in water mixed with turmeric powder before using. I go for a walk in the morning on an isolated road,” he said.
“I play with my granddaughters to pass the time,” he says. Pragati, Pratiksha and Pratibha, who study in primary school, said they are having a good time in isolation.
‘Isolation made us self-reliant’
We are attending online classes. We have stopped calling labourers to our fields so we help out along with our parents and grandparents,” said Pratiksha. “We go to the fields either by tractor or bike.” They are about 3.5km away.
Andanappa’s wife Savita says the situation has made them more self-reliant. “Covid motivated us to develop a garden outside our home. We have withstood a lot of pressure and avoided family functions,” she said.
Suresh Sangaraddi, a villager, said villagers initially made fun of the family. “Some of us even suspected that they had contracted the infection. But now we appreciate their commitment to preventing the spread of the pandemic,” he said.
“It’s not easy to stay at home for seven months, and that too in a rural area. This family has emerged as a role model in the district. We are planning to make a documentary to create awareness on Covid,” said Rajashekhar Hitnal, president of Koppal zilla panchayat.