BENGALURU: Battering rains may have subsided in parts of Karnataka, bringing some respite, but rivers flowing in full spate and rising water levels in dams continue to pose a threat to life and livelihoods. Citizens in low-lying areas downstream of dams, river basins and landslide-prone areas are still being evacuated and shifted to rehabilitation centres.
Ministers in charge of the different districts, including DyCM Govind Karjol, reviewed the situation and held meetings with officials regarding relief, rescue and rehabilitation efforts on Saturday. CM B S Yediyurappa is remotely monitoring the situation from his Covid-19 isolation ward at a private hospital in Bengaluru.
Even as landslides were witnessed in parts of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru on Saturday, traffic on the Mysuru-Kozhikode highway came to a halt after water from the Kabini dam submerged the road. In Dakshina Kannada, rain has submerged several areas in Bantwal and Belthangady, among others while the Netravati river is overflowing. A few houses in Sullia were also damaged due to landslides. NDRF is on standby in Navalgund taluk of Dharwad district which faces a threat of flooding from waters of Benni Halla and Tuppari Halla.
Revenue Minister R Ashoka, who is touring affected districts including Hassan and Dakshina Kannada, has asked the district authorities to use police force to evacuate families living in landslide and flood-prone places if they are reluctant to move. Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi visited inundated regions surrounding the Krishna river in Chikkodi-Belagavi on Saturday and met NDRF personnel apart from holding meetings with officials of his department on the prevailing situation.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa visited Hegalatti village in Tirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga district and directed officials to provide assistance to nine persons who lost their areca plantations in the flood. Tourism Minister C T Ravi, who toured Mudigere taluk in Chikkamagalur, visited plantain plantations that have been ravaged due to rains. He later joined Civil Supplies Minister K Gopalaiah in offering ‘bagina’ at Yagachi reservoir. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai visited Varada river basin and reviewed the situation in flood-hit Kudala and Neregal villages in Hangal taluk and Tavaramellali village in Savanur taluk in Haveri district.
Shivakumar visits Mysuru, Kodagu
KPCC President D K Shivakumar set out on a tour of Mysuru and Kodagu districts on Saturday to take stock of the situation. Shivakumar said he plans to visit flood-hit North Karnataka and Coastal Karnataka districts next. The KPCC president, who started his weekend tour to review damages in Hunsur on Saturday, will visit Madikeri and Bhagamandala before returning to Bengaluru on Sunday evening. “We will form four to five teams of Congress leaders and workers to tour all affected districts and prepare a report on the government’s response, relief, and rehabilitation measures,” he said.