Ministers Basavaraj Bommai and R. Ashok attended video conference with PM
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Revenue Minister R. Ashok attending the video conference chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Karnataka government has requested the Centre for a special assistance of Rs 4,000 crore and an advance of Rs 395 crore, the second installment of state disaster response fund (SDRF), as floods ravaged 13 of 30 districts in the state.
The state has pegged total losses due to the floods till date at Rs 4,500 crore. “The state has been reeling under floods for the last three years. So, we have sought an advance of Rs 395 crore, to help tide over the crisis,” said Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who, along with Revenue Minister R. Ashok took part in the video conference chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, in the absence of Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa who is hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19.
During the meeting of the chief ministers of six flood-hit states—Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Assam—the PM reviewed the flood situation, relief measures and sought suggestions on flood mitigation.
The meeting observed that the rainfall in June-July had been 118 per cent. Though the rainfall in July alone was only 80-90 per cent, the uneven distribution of rainfall resulted in the floods.
“In Karnataka, rainfall over the last one week in coastal Karnataka region, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts, Madikeri and north Karnataka districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri and Raichur has been higher than normal. For instance, Bhagamandala has received 500 per cent excess rainfall. The overflowing rivers and high speed winds are causing havoc. There has been a shift from the north-east monsoon to south-west monsoon and incessant rains in the Western Ghat region is causing the rivers to swell,” informed Bommai, who addressed a press meet after the video conference.
According to the preliminary assessment report, at least 885 villages across 56 taluks have been affected by the floods. As many as 3,000 houses have collapsed, 80,000 hectares of agriculture and horticulture crops have been destroyed, while 3,500km of roads stand damaged due to heavy rains. There has been massive damages caused to the electric infrastructure like poles and tranformers, government buildings (393), bridges (250), minor irrigation tanks (104).
“The preliminary estimate of losses caused due to heavy rains, landslides .
