Damage to roads, public property under Dharwad ZP estimated at ₹ 13.29 crore

Buildings of government schools too were damaged in rain and floods. A total of 865 classrooms have been severely damaged.

A Karnataka Development Programmes review meeting under way in Dharwad.

Heavy rain and floods which hit Dharwad district recently have caused severe damage to roads and other public property managed by the Zilla Panchayat Engineering Department. The officials concerned have estimated the damage at ₹ 13.29 crore.

Submitting a report of the estimated losses during rain at a Karnataka Development Programmes (KDP) review meeting here on Saturday, Executive Engineer of the Zilla Panchayat Engineering Department Manohar Mandoli said that that the Deputy Commissioner has promised to release ₹ 2.68 crore to take up emergency work to restore 686 km of roads in the district.

The district has suffered crop loss in 1.43 lakh hectares of land and the estimated loss is ₹ 98 crore, according to Joint Director of Agriculture S.S. Abid. Sowing had been taken up in 2.29 lakh hectares in the district. Horticulture crop in 38,000 hectares has been damaged and the estimated loss is ₹ 26 crore, said Deputy Director of Horticulture Ramachandra Madiwal.

Buildings of government schools too were damaged in rain and floods. A total of 865 classrooms have been severely damaged. It requires ₹ 94 lakh to repair them. DDPI Gajanan Mannikeri told the meeting that a proposal has been sent to the Deputy Commissioner to release necessary funds for taking up repair works, he said.

Zilla Panchayat president Vijayalakshmi Patil has asked the officials to submit reports of estimated losses during floods to all zilla panchayat members. This apart, the officials should inform in advance the elected members while carrying out survey works to assess the losses to public assets and the standing crops. The assessment of losses should be done meticulously, she said.

Zilla Panchayat vice-president Shivanand Karigar has asked the officials to provide the details of loss caused due to rain and floods to elected representatives also.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer B.C. Satish instructed the officials to hold field visits to verify data related to rain loss in their respective departments. He said that holidays were declared during heavy rain to educational institutions and they were reopened on August 13. However, there were reports that foodgrains were not supplied to anganwadi centres in the district for three days from August 13. This amount should be deducted while paying bills for this month, he said.