Crops in nearly 41,026 hectares were damaged in the recent floods in Kodagu and a loss of ₹415 crore had been estimated based on the damage caused to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure facilities across the district in last month’s rain devastation.
As many as 91 villages bore the brunt of floods and 28 villages suffered landslides. Out of five missing persons following the landslide near Talacauvery, the bodies of three were traced and two others remain missing.
Giving details of the devastation caused by floods and landslides for the third consecutive year, Minister in-charge of Kodagu district V. Somanna, in a letter on Thursday, urged Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to implement permanent measures in Kodagu as farmers and the public are in distress over losing their near ones, properties and crops to calamities.
Mr .Somanna also urged the Chief Minister to issue directions to the officials for acting on the measures suggested by him in the letter on priority for giving succour to the people of Kodagu.
The Minister sought permission to Kodagu farmers for selling sand collected in their lands without paying any royalty to the government in view of the devastation. Also, coffee growers should be empowered to sell trees other than the valuable ones fallen in their estates.
While urging Mr. Yediyurappa to declare Virajpet, Madikeri and Somwarpet taluks as ‘flood-affected’, Mr. Somanna said the government had announced a package of ₹536 crore to Kodagu over last year’s devastation and sought early release of the remaining amount from the package for carrying out the sanctioned relief/rehabilitation works.
As a special case, compensation of ₹5 lakh each should be considered for the families of the two missing persons in the landslide, Mr. Somanna said.
Central team coming
An Inter-Ministerial Central team is visiting Kodagu on September 8 for assessing the situation.
A note from the Ministry of Home Affairs said Kumar V. Pratap, Joint Secretary (UT), MHA, will head the five-member team which will be touring the flood-hit areas in the State, including Kodagu, from September 7 to 9. The team will arrive in Bengaluru on September 7 at 5 p.m.
