CM makes aerial survey of rain-hit areas

950 personnel from multiple agencies engaged in rescue operation in Kodagu; over 350 people rescued so far

August 18, 2018 04:48 pm | Updated 06:45 pm IST - BENGALURU

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy making an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy making an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas.

Over 900 personnel from multiple agencies, including one column of the Army’s Dogra Regiment, Air Force National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Civil Defence, Fire Force and National Cadet Corps have been deployed for rescue and relief operations in rain-battered Kodagu district.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday morning held an emergency meeting of officials to take stock of the situation and rush rescue personnel and relief materials to the people in distress. After the meeting, he made an aerial survey of the rain-affected areas of Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada regions.

Addressing the media after the meeting, he said that according to official information reaching the administration, over 350 people have been rescued so far and multiple agencies have pressed every rescue-related machinery into service.

A high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary had been formed to address the financial issues related to the rescue operation, relief works and rehabilitation of the people stranded in rain-battered areas.

Appeal

Mr. Kumaraswamy has appealed to the people to contribute generously for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to facilitate rehabilitation of the displaced people in Kodagu district.

Expressing his gratitude to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for agreeing to deploy additional personnel for rescue and relief operations in Kodagu, he said she immediately responded to the situation.

A team headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district had rescued as many as 347 persons in Jodupala area bordering Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu districts and the operation is continuing.

A team steered by Army personnel rescued over 30 people from Mukkodlu, after a difficult trek of 13 km. A 92-year-old woman was brought on a stretcher.

Over 2,250 displaced people have taken shelter in 31 rehabilitation centres (gruel centres). A decision has been taken to open more gruel centres to instil confidence among the people in distress.

Officials concerned have been directed to supply uninterrupted gas, petrol and diesel in the areas of distress and communication authorities have been asked to reinstall mobile towers, which had collapsed because of the rain. Additional forces have been deployed to restore communication and power structures, especially in rural parts of Kodagu.

Steps had been taken to rush medical and nursing staff and supply child food products on priority. Over 50 excavators have been pressed into service to clear the landslide debris, which blocked highways and open the roads for traffic. Geologists and technical experts have been deployed to take measures to safeguard Mangaluru-Mysuru National Highway 275, which is caving in because of loose soil.

Over 800 houses collapsed because of heavy rains and people have lost documents pertaining to their property. Departments concerned have been directed to provide them copies of their documents immediately and officials have been directed to release ₹ 2 lakh compensation for those who have lost their houses.

As many as 16 railway staff stuck in Yedakumeri station near Sakleshpur have been rescued.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.