It is as though this entire village is crippled. Disability knows no barriers as every family at Yeralakkenahalli in Gudibande taluk has two or three disabled members.
While most of them are speech impaired, others have physical disabilities.
There are more than 40 disabled people in this tiny village, including school and college students. People here mostly blame the fluoridated water that they are forced to drink for their predicament. Worse, the disabilities are being passed on to the newborns from the parents.
Shivashankar developed problems downwards of his waist, by the time he was in class VIII. He has studied only up to class VII.
Class X student Indira is unable to communicate her feelings through speech and has to depend on sign language. Her sister Sumithra and brother Nagesh - who study at the Beechaganahalli government school - have only two toes each on their lower limbs. Most of the speech impaired at Yeralakkenahalli are women and in the age group of 20 to 60.
Anjanappa, a member of the Tirumani Gram Panchayat, told Deccan Herald: ”We have brought the plight of the villagers to the notice of the MLA and the district administration. Officials took samples of the fluoridated water for analysis a long time ago and never returned. The MLA has not visited the village after the election.”
The problem is not restricted to Yeralakkenahalli. It persists in nearby villages like Bogenahalli, Tirumani, Doddinencharlu, Tallugaddehalli and Singanahalli also. Many in Yeralakkenahalli who have been rendered disabled, are forced to stay at home and are not able to contribute financially to their families.
With people from outside not coming forward to marry the disabled at Yeralakkenahalli, they are forced to tie the knot with those from within the village.
This has led to the birth of disabled offsprings, said Venkatesh, a resident of Yeralakkenahalli.
“We are told that the government spends crores of rupees for rural development and welfare of the disabled. But no steps have been taken to supply fluoride-free water here as also provide help to the handicapped,” complain the villagers.