The relief and rescue operations in flood-ravaged Kodagu continued on Saturday with the army and quick response team of the civil defence reaching out to people stranded in remote hilly areas. But inclement weather has continued to hamper the operations, delaying the relief and rescue mission.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people from Makkandur, Mandalpatti, Adageri, Mukkodlu, Mandalapatti and other places have taken shelter in relief camps or have been accommodated by members of the local community.
One of the local residents, Jagdeep, whose family was stranded in a village close to Makkandur told The Hindu that they escaped from the landslips and have lost all their property and belongings. “We were brought safely by the rescue teams on Friday and are now staying in a friend’s house. There is no way people of those villages can go back as there is nothing left,’’ he said.
Entire villages have been evacuated but people are still missing and are not accountable and messages are being circulated over social media and forwarded to various groups to help trace them.
Bopanna, whose is based in Bengaluru, said there was no information pertaining to the members of his family near Makkandur but he learnt through other contacts that they were safe though he was yet to speak to them.
“We learnt that one batch of the villagers was rescued from Hattihole by the army and the SDRF on Friday but my family members and a few others are stranded about half-a-km ahead and am waiting for further information,’ he said. About 150 people are housed in a private resort close by but there are fears of landslips from Kotta Betta nearby.
According to reports, a civil defence team and the army personnel trekked about 13 km one way from Madhapura to Hattihole on Friday as all roads were blocked and rescued about 75 people.
Meanwhile, the authorities have requested high resolution cloud-free satellite images to help ascertain landslips and delineate areas damaged. The Relief Commissioner, Gangaram Baderia, has written to the National Remote Sensing Centre stating that it would help in decision making and enable the district administration to assess the extent of damage.
Relief material was also being sent by various organisations including NGOs and different units of the Kodava Samajas. Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Abhiram Sankar said one helicopter with 80 kg of packed food left for Harangi at 7.30 a.m. on Saturday for dispatch to Madikeri. So far, industries and private organisations have sent three truck loads of aid.
The Deputy Commissioner said all the relief material being collected from the public was primarily meant for Kodagu but would also be sent to Wayanad if Kodagu does not have immediate need of certain items. A team of 12 doctors too has been sent to Kodagu from Mysuru.
