Flood-related damage in Karnataka worth Rs 10,000 crore: BS Yediyurappa

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Aug 12, 2019 : Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit parts of the Belagavi region in Karnataka on Sunday along with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, even as rain provided a respite to the region after nearly a week as to Yahoo.

 

Following the aerial survey, Yediyurappa said that the flood damage in Karnataka has been assessed to be in the range of Rs 10,000 crore and an immediate release of Rs 3,000 crore had been sought from the Centre.

Yediyurappa said the Home Minister had assured full co-operation to the state in the rehabilitation efforts. Did an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of Belagavi (Karnataka) and Kolhapur and Sangli (Maharashtra). Also held a meeting with senior officials to review the relief operations. Central and both state governments are totally committed to helping our people in distress, Shah said after the aerial survey.

Met and surveyed flood-affected areas with the Home Minister of India Amit Shah. Orders were discharged to senior officials concerned. Full support has been assured by the Home Minister to Karnataka in this hour of need, Yediyurappa said after the survey.

On Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman conducted an aerial survey of the Belagavi region.

The Union ministers arrived to take a look at the flood-affected region on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border even as the BJP government in Karnataka faced criticism for being a one-man government with Yediyurappa functioning as the sole member of Cabinet since the government was formed on July 26.

Even though there is no Cabinet, all MLAs and MPs are working for flood relief along with all state officials, Yediyurappa said.

With rainfall abating in north Karnataka and Maharashtra over the past two days, emergency flood relief work has been necessitated in coastal Karnataka and Malnad region of the state where heavy rainfall continued till Sunday, causing widespread damage to property and lives.

Yediyurappa has termed the flood, which has affected 17 of the 20 districts in the state, the worst in more than 45 years. Kodagu region, which witnessed heavy rain damage last August, is among the regions severely hit by the flood this year with as many eight deaths reported in landslides in the hilly region till Sunday.

Yediyurappa is scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of the coastal and Malnad regions on Monday and a few other parts of north Karnataka on Tuesday.
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Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa during the aerial survey he conducted on flood-hit areas in north Karnataka on Monday. (Express Photo)

Rainfall intensity over upper Krishna Basin in Maharashtra reduced considerably yesterday (August 10). As per IMD, the rainfall is likely to reduce from tomorrow (August 12) in the Upper Krishna catchment area, the state government said.

The state disaster monitoring cell said light to moderate rain is likely in the flood-affected parts of north Karnataka over the next five days. The coastal and Malnad regions is expected to receive heavy rain in some parts over the next five days.

As many as 5.81 lakh people have been evacuated over the last week from marooned regions by fire and emergency services, SDRF, NDRF and Army teams. Four IAF helicopters were deployed to north Karnataka and one Indian Navy chopper to coastal Karnataka.

According to official government data provided on Sunday, 40 people have died across the state and 3.27 lakh people are in relief camps across 80 taluks. Crop loss (as per preliminary assessment) is across 4.20 lakh hectares of land.

Unesco Heritage site Hampi, along the banks of Tungabhadra River in Ballari district, has been inundated after the release of water from a reservoir Sunday. Water has entered the heritage site and an Anjaneya temple in front of Kampli Fort has been partially submerged. Tourists have been shifted to safer places, officials said.