'Monsoon Fury in Karnataka claims 74 Lives, 1465 Houses Damaged'
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
BANGALORE, July 17: The monsoon fury that Karnataka witnessed during the last few days in several districts had claimed a toll of 74 lives and damaged 1,465 houses besides causing destruction and damages to property or standing crops worth several crores of rupees. Coastal Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Shimoga were the worst-hit, with the situation akin to a deluge.
In a detailed statement on the devastation and havoc caused by the rains, Karnataka’s Revenue Minister G Karunakar Reddy informed the state legislative assembly on Friday that as many as 11 districts were severely affected by the heavy downpour this month.
A special grant of Rs 5 crore each had been released to the deputy commissioners of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Shimoga for taking up relief measures and helping the affected people on a war-footing, Reddy said.
An all-party delegation would be taken to Delhi to seek funds to the state under the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) shortly, he said pointing out that the government was assessing the actual extent of losses and damages due to the rain havoc. The compensation amount the people suffering crop losses, damages to houses and other properties would be increased, he said.
The state legislative assembly, which had been rocked by the alleged scam in the Karnataka Housing Board over a Rs 500 crore deal for purchase of 959 acres of land in Shidlaghatta taluk of Chikkaballapur district and could not transact any official business due to continuous dharna by Congress and JD(S) opposition for three days, returned to normalcy with the opposition members resuming their seats on Friday. After the question hour, the house took up the issue of rain havoc for discussion with Congress opposition leader Siddaramaiah, JD(S) leader H D Revanna and others pressing for a comprehensive debate.
However, it was the statement in the house by the revenue minister on the rain havoc that was the highlight of the day. The details provided by Reddy presented a vivid picture of the seriousness and gravity of the situation.
The State has received 391 mm of rains from June 1 to July 16 against the normal 328 mm. The excess rainfall this year was 19% against a shortfall of 33% during the same period last year.
Heavy rains and lightning claimed 57 lives in June and 17 lives in July so far. As many as 306 head of cattle also died. Compensation given to kin and kith of those killed would be doubled from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, he said.
The south-west monsoon was heavy in malnad and coastal Karnataka, he said pointing out that rainfall in June was 156 mm against the normal 189 mm accounting for a deficit of 18%. But, the rainfall was 235 mm against the normal 139 mm in July so far, account for 69% excess.
Malnad districts of Kodagu, Hassan, Chikmagalur and Shimoga received 569 mm rainfall, accounting for an excess of 103% in July so far, the minister said adding: ``The July rainfall in the Malnad region is highest in the last 29 years.’’
But the situation in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada was even more serious as the three districts received ``highest rainfall in the last 39 years,’’ he said indicating that the coastal region got 999 mm of rains against the normal 564 mm, an excess of 77%
The 11 districts that received heavy rainfall till July 16 are: Udupi – 1231 mm, Dakshina Kannada – 1022 mm, Uttara Kannada – 925 mm, Kodagu – 883 mm, Shimoga – 778, Chikmagalur – 600 mm, Hassan – 242 mm, Belgaum – 212 mm, Haveri – 190 mm, Dharwad – 145 mm and Chitradurga – 103 mm.
The minister said 89 officers of the National Disaster Response Force stationed at Arkonam in Tamil Nadu have been deployed in coastal districts for undertaking rescue operations. Eleven inflatable boats have been pressed into service in the region to shift the people to safer places.
Though there was tardy progress in estimating the damage to houses, crops, roads and electricity utilities, Reddy said Rs 1 to 2 crore had been released to districts for taking up relief works. Control rooms have been set up in flooded affected districts and food and medicines have been supplied to rain affected people. The government is regularly monitoring the situation and was in constant touch with district Deputy Commissioners to provide all kinds of support to the people, he said.
He mentioned that the Government had submitted a detailed memorandum to the Centre seeking Rs 516 crore from the NCCF in September last year. But the State had received a meagre Rs 1.86 crore.
Compared to Karnataka, the Centre had been ``generous’’ in releasing grants to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Punjab with assistance of the order of 300%, 182% and 122% respectively. ``Clearly, this is a biased approach from the Centre while releasing funds to Karnataka under the NCCF,’’ he said.
Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah alleged that the minister was misleading the House by providing wrong information on release of funds by the Centre. The Centre had released Rs 288.65 crore in 2008-09 and the State had not spent Rs 127 crore, he said and criticised the government for its failure.
Unlike other states, the government had not made any efforts to get the funds from the Centre, he claimed and urged the government to step up its relief measures without waiting for Central funds. Steps should be taken to enhance the compensation to the people who lost their crops or suffered damages to their properties, he said.
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