K’taka rains: CM Bommai seeks fair relief from Centre

Bengaluru:  Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday stated that the Karnataka government has prepared a rain damage estimate and urged the Central government to release a fair compensation.

He held a meeting with the central team led by Joint Secretary, Union Home Ministry Ashish Kumar, which arrived here this morning to study the flood situation.

The team was asked to take a stock of flood situation in Bengaluru city, neighbouring Mandya and Ramanagar districts.

CM Bommai also provided inputs on the extensive damage caused due to floods in July, August and the current month. The team members were also briefed on relief measures taken up by the state government.

The central team is scheduled to visit Chitradurga, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Haveri, Dharwad, Gadag, Bidar and Kalaburgi districts districts which have seen floods due to excessive rains.

CM Bommai suggested them also to visit Kodagu, Dakshina Kannad and Uttara Kannada districts that witnessed the massive landslide, sea erosion and other damage.

Bommai informed the team that this time, a large number of fishing boats, shops and other business establishments had been damaged. In Ramanagar, silk reeling unit and twisting units too have suffered damage.

This kind of damage has happened for the first time. It has impacted lives of people. The team must try to extend the maximum help on the humanitarian ground, he demanded.

He said Karnataka has a coastal area of 330 km and works worth Rs 350 crore have been taken up to prevent the sea erosion in several sensitive places. But, the erosion has happened in the new spots. The central government assistance is required for the protection of complete coastal region.

“The North-Karnataka region too faced unprecedented floods in districts like Kalaburgi, Gadag, Bidar and Koppal. In fact, the state has been receiving intermittent rains since November last year and there is a need to undertake a study of the rain pattern in the state.

Almost all the tanks are full and overflowing. Many tanks have breached and caused floods. This situation was quite contrast to the floods caused by overflowing rivers,” he explained.

The CM said rains have been pouring since last one week causing severe damage in Bengaluru, Ramanagar, Mandya and other districts.

A proposal regarding the damages caused in the last one week would be submitted immediately.

The central team comprises of Mahesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Bhavya Pandey, Assistant Director, Department of Energy, Ashok Kumar from Ministry of Jalshakthi, V.V.Shastri, Executive Engineer, Union Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways.

Dr K.Manoharan from Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and S.B.Tiwari, Under Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development.

Ministers Govind Karjol, C.C. Patil, B.C.Patil, Araga Jnanendra, Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma were also present in the meeting.

–IANS

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