In Karnataka’s Malnad region, elderly live alone in the silence of villages among the hills

Jayamma, in her early seventies, begins her mornings by cooking sambar and rice for one. She tends to her small arecanut plantation near Doddlimane, occasionally hiring help for maintenance. Her husband, Srinivas Gowda, passed away 15 years ago. Her son, Prasanna, died some time later while working in Bengaluru. Now she manages her half-acre holding and the heavy silence that surrounds it, alone.

Many houses across Agumbe in Tirthahalli taluk are occupied by solitary elderly residents, predominantly women. While this is the reality of many villages, the terrain of the Malnad specifically — where homes lie scattered across plantations and forest areas — compounds their isolation. Residents must traverse long distances to reach the nearest neighbour. Many of their days pass without encountering another human being.

“What to do? We are adjusted to it. I have to look after an arecanut plantation and another few guntas of agricultural land. Occasionally, I visit my daughter’s house, which is a few kilometres away,” Ms. Jayamma said.

Her neighbour, Anitha, lives alone most of the time, though she has the company of her son, a degree college student in Tirthahalli. Ms. Anitha lost her daughter, Ashika, eight years ago in July 2018, in a tragic drowning incident. The girl was crossing a stream while returning from school when she fell from a makeshift footbridge. By then, Anitha had already lost her husband. In nearby houses, Mahesh Bhat, Parvathakka and Mukamma also live alone.

A consistent pattern

Across the Malnad region in Shivamogga and neighbouring districts, a pattern repeats: children have migrated to cities for education and employment, visiting rarely. Elders, bound by land, memory and arecanut plantations that demand constant care, choose to stay behind. Houses once bustling with multiple generations have become solitary outposts.

“The children settle in big cities and visit home only during holidays and festivals. The elders are forced to stay here to maintain their plantations,” said A.G. Nityanand, a resident of Honnethal. He identified numerous houses in Doddlimane, Honnethal, Donehaklu, Kunda, Changar, Shiruru and Kendalbail where elderly people live alone.

Many houses in the Malnad areas of Tirthahalli, Sringeri are occupied by lone women. The houses in this region are scattered in large area. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Transport scarcity compounds the problem. Residents depend on private autorickshaws for commuting, often at prohibitive cost. A trip to the fair-price shop for subsidised grain can cost more in autorickshaw fare than the value of the rice itself, Mr. Nityanand pointed out.

More vulnerable

The vulnerability of this isolation became evident in April this year, when a robbery occurred at Lakkunda village near Agumbe. Vishalakshi, 74, who had lived alone since her husband’s death (the couple had no children) was robbed in broad daylight. Four men forced their way into her home, restrained her, and fled with 146 grams of gold jewellery and ₹51,000 in cash. Police registered a case and arrested four suspects, recovering the valuables.

Police drive to keep in touch

Recognising the growing problem, Shivamogga District Police have launched a special drive to map houses occupied by lone senior citizens. They have identified 1,641 such homes so far, with the survey ongoing and numbers expected to rise.

“Our police will call these residents at least once a week to check on their wellbeing and provide a sense of security,” said Superintendent of Police B. Nikhil. “There are challenges in areas with poor telephone networks. We are exploring alternative measures to maintain contact.”

The problem is particularly acute in the Malnad. “There could be houses with lone senior citizens in big cities and rural areas elsewhere. However, the Malnad presents unique challenges due to terrain,” said Suresh Kalkere, who teaches at Honnethal. “In other regions, neighbours are nearby. Here they are not. Moreover, reaching someone is difficult despite mobile phones because network coverage is poor.”