Karnataka flood loss pegged at ₹6,000 crore; death toll rises to 24

Chief Minister Yediyurappa calls it ‘worst calamity in 45 years’ and seeks immediate relief of ₹3,000 crore from Centre.

A flood-hit areca plantation at Vaddinakoppa on the outskirts of Shivamogga on August 10, 2019.

The Karnataka government has estimated the damage to crop and public/private infrastructure by heavy rains and floods at ₹6,000 crore and has decided to seek immediate relief of ₹3,000 crore from the Centre.

The death toll from various rain-related incidents across the State has touched 24.

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa termed this the “worst calamity in 45 years” and said that a memorandum would be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate relief of ₹3,000 crore to provide compensation for families facing distress due to crop loss and damage to their houses.

Life has been badly affected owing to submergence of villages and landslips on rail routes and roads in 16 districts of northern and southern parts of the State. A sum of ₹100 crore has been released to each of the flood-affected district, he said.

 

The Chief Minister, who is the lone man in the Cabinet, claimed that “all BJP MLAs have been working as mantris (Ministers)” and monitoring relief operations in their respective constituencies. Mr. Yediyurappa was on a tour of North Karnataka. He said officials and legislators of the Opposition have been visiting flood-affected areas.

Rescue and relief work were being carried out by teams of personnel comprising NDRF and the armed forces. “We are planning to reconstruct houses damaged in the rains. Some of the villages have to be shifted completely,” Mr. Yediyurappa told reporters here. Once normalcy returns, a road map would be prepared to permanently shift villages located on the banks of rivers in south and north Karnataka. He added that all 30 districts would be treated on equal footing. He said he was capable of handling the flood situation and the absence of Ministers would not impede relief works in any way.

Noting that the Centre has responded positively to demands of the State, Mr. Yediyurappa said it had already released the pending ₹856 crore under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and ₹126 crore under the State Disaster Fund.

Replying to a question on release of water by Maharashtra from its dams, he said “there is no difference between Maharashtra and Karnataka. “They (Maharashtra people) suffer and we too suffer.”