Uncertainty about attending online classes reigns supreme in the minds of students in Megadde, Koodlu, Vonajaru and Ajjolli areas that come under Nadpalu gram panchayat limits in Hebri taluk as internet tracing is an everyday problem.
Situated about 13 km from Hebri town, there are about 70 houses in the lush green areas of Megadde, Koodlu and other places. Lack of proper telecommunication facilities is a big hurdle in the system for many years here and students point out that their villages should be given at least some basic facilities like internet connection that the students in urban areas enjoy.
Those from these villages who have opted to work from home too are facing the same trouble on a daily basis. Youth are found strolling with a laptop in their bid to trace internet connectivity but to no avail. On rainy days, the problem worsens and there is not at all any trace of the internet. Nadpalu gram panchayat president Dinesh Hegde said that BSNL officials have assured the villagers of introducing the Airfibre plans that work on radio-based solutions which are wireless. The network problem is severe in Megadde, Koodlu and Vonajaru, he added.
If BSNL Airfibre is introduced, 80 Mbps download speed can be availed. Ramesh, a resident of Ajjoli said that most of the students in his village are suffering a lot without being able to attend online classes. ''So we are demanding proper internet connectivity repeatedly,'' he added. When contacted, an official from the BSNL AGM's office in Karkala told TNIE that equipment to introduce BSNL Airfibre has arrived and installation will be done soon so that the internet connectivity problem in Megadde, Koodlu and surrounding places will be solved. Sources said that if the officials from Shivamogga Business Area of BSNL could get a tower at Agumbe (above the Western Ghat) the villages in Hebri too may get better internet connectivity.
