Sunitha, a tribal resident of Bhalekadi village in Chikkamagaluru’s Sringeri taluk, gets free rice under Karnataka's Annabhagya scheme. But she pays ₹600 for an autorickshaw to carry it home. Bhalekadi, surrounded by Kudremukh National Park, faces poor roads and no public transport. Health emergencies become scary. Rangappa said, “If someone falls sick and needs urgent emergency healthcare, it takes hours to reach the nearest hospital in Sringeri, about 26 km from our village.” His wife Sunitha recently suffered chest pain, and it took over an hour to arrange an autorickshaw. She was later moved to Manipal for treatment. About 45 families live in Bhalekadi on revenue land and farm arecanut. But arecanut leaf-spot and yellow-leaf diseases have slashed yields. Many want the government to give a rehabilitation package to help them move out. The Forest Department says around 1,382 families live near the park’s boundary, and 653 have agreed to relocate if helped. Prabhakar from Bhalekadi said, “We have been waiting for the government to consider our demand and release the package.” He and 11 relatives plan to buy land together with the proposed money. Anthony, a former Public Works Department contractor, recalls once harvesting 100 quintals of arecanut from 20 acres. “Now it has come down to a meagre four quintals. I am also ready to move out as looking after the arecanut plantation is not profitable,” he said. Vaddina Karke locality in the village has seven families, five led by single women. They care for children and farms alone and want compensation and aid to relocate. The government had promised help after two villagers died in an elephant attack in October 2025. But files and rehab plans remain stuck, prompting growing frustration. The villagers seek a fair compensation package to rebuild their lives away from the forest, roads, and crop crisis.