Shivamogga police join efforts to build a home for elderly woman in Agumbe

For Gowrajji, a woman in her seventies living on the fringes of Agumbe, Sunday was a memorable day. Her dream to own a house had come true.

After decades of staying in a makeshift shelter, made of wooden poles and plastic sheeting that offered little refuge from the region’s relentless monsoon rains, Ms. Gowrajji walked into a house of her own. The police and Agumbe Lions Club joined hands to provide her with a proper shelter.

It all began three months ago with a police initiative to address grassroots concerns. The police from the Agumbe Police Station, conducting door-to-door surveys, found Ms. Gowrajji’s precarious existence. Her shelter, hastily constructed from salvaged materials, provided scant protection during downpours. More pressing was the danger that prowled nearby.

Shivamogga Superintendent of Police B. Nikhil, upon learning of her circumstances, instructed local officials to explore ways to help. “When I visited Agumbe three months ago, I was informed about the elephant movements in the area where Ms. Gowrajji stayed,” Mr. Nikhil told The Hindu.

“We couldn’t leave her in such conditions,” he said. The police reached out to the Lions Club in Agumbe. Though Ms. Gowrajji owned a small plot of land, she lacked the means to build on it.

What followed was a quiet collaboration. The Lions Club members, donors, and the police officials pooled resources. Aproximately ₹1.9 lakh was spent to construct a permanent dwelling. “We worked to complete the building before the monsoon intensified,” Mr. Nikhil explained. “The delayed onset this year allowed us to finish the work and hand over the keys to her before the heavy rains arrived,” the Superintendent of Police said.

On Sunday, in a simple ceremony, the house was formally transferred to Ms. Gowrajji. Mr. Nikhil, sub-inspector Shivanagouda Patil, and representatives of the Lions Club were present as she received the keys to the Lions Dream Kuteera, as the dwelling has been named.