Temporary wall to bar entry of people on Wellesley Bridge in Mandya

Mandya/ Shivamogga: As part of the measures being undertaken to mitigate the damage caused by the flood in Mandya district, deputy commissioner MV Venkatesh on Monday ordered the construction of a temporary wall to prohibit entry of people on Wellesley Bridge, which is in a dilapidated condition.
Venkatesh on Monday paid a visit to flood-hit areas in Srirangapatna taluk and took stock of the measures undertaken as part of the government’s rehabilitation efforts.The DC instructed police personnel and revenue department staff to remain vigilant and restrict movement of people in vulnerable areas. At the iconic Wellesley Bridge, built across the River Cauvery, Venkatesh ordered the officials to open it to the public only after the water level receded considerably. Meanwhile, police have put up barricades at various spots along the banks of the river to prevent people from venturing in.
Meanwhile, a slight drop in the amount of rainfall in the catchment areas of the Cauvery resulted in a corresponding decrease in the inflow to the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir in Mandya. Consequently, the authorities at the dam reduced the outflow from KRS to 25,000 cusecs as against 74,000 cusecs last week. Against its capacity storage of 124.8ft, the current water level of the KRS dam is 119.6ft.
In the meanwhile, the outflow from the Kabini Dam came down to 20,000 cusecs thereby considerably mitigating the situation in Nanjangud, which has been struggling to deal with the inundation of its roads and houses.
‘Do you think you’re working in Pakistan?’
Lashing out at officials in the forest department in Shivamogga for their failure in dealing with the aftermath of the heavy rainfall, district in-charge minister KS Eshwarappa on Monday asked them if they thought they were working in Pakistan, an allusion to the purported inefficiency that marks a failed state.
Eshwarappa, along with Thirthahalli MLA Araga Jnanendra, expressed disappointment with the negligent attitude of the foresters for not clearing the trees uprooted by the rain in the district. Eshwarappa asked the foresters to identify acacia and eucalyptus trees planted near electricity poles, which he said posed a threat to public safety, and asked them to clear them at the earliest. In all, as many as 314 electricity poles have come tumbling down in Thirthahalli taluk, of which 116 have been replaced. The remaining poles will be replaced in the next three days.