MADIKERI:Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday conducted an aerial survey of Kodagu which is battered by landslides and floods. Later, he held a meeting with officials of district administration where Deputy Commissioner Sreevidya PI submitted a report on the damages and ongoing rescuing mission. It said: “Kodagu has witnessed 73% excess rainfall this year. 50,000 people have been affected by rains and nearly 4,000 were stranded and had lost all communication.
Over the past five days the weather turned worst and numerous houses and landslides were witnessed across the district.” The CM directed the officials to give priority to identification of land for construction of houses for the people and restoring the road connectivity. “Temporary sheds need to be built to shift people from relief centres.”
He gave a free hand to the district administration to take decisions on relief works. As many as 120 potable toilets have been shipped from Bengaluru for relief centres.The CM said 300 BBMP pourakarmikas will be deployed in the flood-affected areas. A 27-member team of pourakarmikas attached to Mysuru City Corporation were sent to Kodagu on Sunday. “In Kushalnagar, while the flood has receded, the areas are still not clean. Measures will be taken to check the outbreak of epidemics.” During the CM’s meeting with district officials, Rs 5 lakh each was handed over to two families.
Govt must control theft cases: BSY
BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa, who visited relief camps in Suntikoppa and Madikeri, expressed dissatisfaction over the state government’s effort in providing relief. “During my visit to a relief centre at Suntikoppa, people expressed their dissatisfaction over the state government’s inability to address their problems. I am being told that it is the private donors that are helping. Also, theft is taking place at houses that were vacated and this needs to be controlled.” He said over 40 villages have been washed away and many are homeless. Shobha Karandlaje said, “Kodagu is considered Karnataka’s heaven. But today Somwarpet and Madikeri taluks have been destroyed. No one has seen such a disaster. We do not know how many are dead in this disaster.”