Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy held an emergency meeting of officials on Saturday to take stock of the situation in the flood-ravaged Kodagu district and conducted an aerial survey of Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts to oversee the rescue operation.
Addressing the media after the meeting, he said 950 personnel from multiple agencies have been deployed for relief works. Over 350 people have been rescued and multiple agencies have pressed every rescue-related machinery into service, he said.
Mr. Kumaraswamy appealed to people to contribute generously to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Expressing his gratitude to the Union Defence Minister for agreeing to deploy additional personnel for the rescue operation, he said teams steered by the Army personnel had already reached Mukodlu village in Kodagu, where many people, including a pregnant woman, were stranded.
Over 2,250 displaced people have taken shelter in 31 rehabilitation centres. Decision has been taken to open more gruel centres to instil confidence among the people in distress, he said. Mr. Kumaraswamy said officials have been directed to supply uninterrupted gas, petrol and diesel in the areas of distress and reinstall mobile towers.
Steps have been taken to deploy medical and nursing staff and supply food for children on priority. Over 50 excavators have been pressed into service to clear landslip debris, which has blocked highways.
Over 800 houses collapsed in the heavy rains and people have lost their property documents. Departments concerned have been directed to provide copies of their documents at the earliest and officials have been told to release ₹2 lakh compensation for those who lost their houses, he said.
