Bommai appeals to Central team to study changing rain pattern

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday appealed to the central team, which is in the state to assess rain damage, to study the strange rain pattern in Karnataka.

People wade through a flooded road on coracles off Sarjapur Road, in Bengaluru on Wednesday

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday appealed to the central team, which is in the state to assess rain damage, to study the strange rain pattern in Karnataka. He requested the team to consider it as a special case and recommend the release of special funds as the majority of the tanks in the state are overflowing.

Bommai said the state government has prepared the rain damage estimate transparently and the Union government should release a fair compensation to Karnataka as per the central guidelines. The state has been witnessing heavy rainfall since last November and there has been a perceptible change in its pattern. Many tanks have breached, causing floods. This is quite different from the floods caused by overflowing rivers and this phenomenon has to be studied, he added.

Bommai said that since November 2021, Rs 500 crore has been released in two tranches, while another Rs 600 crore was received two days ago to repair the damage caused to infrastructure. The state is giving an additional input subsidy for crop loss and released Rs 2,452 crore to 18.58 lakh farmers. Of this, Rs 1,160 crore has been borne by the state. Relief has been given for house damage too, he added.

The chief minister met the the central team, which is in the state to study the rain damage caused in July, August and September. The team will visit Chitradurga, Hassan, Chikkmagaluru, Haveri, Dharwad, Gadag, Bidar and Kalaburgi districts. It was asked to take a stock of the flood situation in Bengaluru city, Mandya and Ramanagar districts. He said a large number of fishing boats, shops and other business establishments have been damaged. In Ramanagara, silk reeling and twisting units have suffered damage. This is the first time that such damage has occurred, added.

KARNATAKA’s DEMANDS

1. The central government assistance is required to protect the entire coastal region. Karnataka has taken up steps to prevent sea erosion in several sensitive places, but it is happening in newer areas. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urged the team to visit Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts which witnessed massive landslides, sea erosion and other damage.
2. Kalaburgi, Gadag, Bidar and Koppal districts in North Karnataka too faced unprecedented floods.
3. Rain has been pounding Bengaluru, Ramanagara, Mandya and other districts for the last one week causing heavy damage. A proposal assessing the damage over the last week will be submitted immediately.
4. Since it was not possible to provide relief under NDRF rules, the team was requested to give special relief for damages to boats, shops and houses.