Survey to assess damage in flood-hit North Karnataka districts

BELAGAVI: Although hundreds of victims of the flood that ravaged North Karnataka in 2019 are still awaiting one or more instalments of the compensation they are entitled to from the government, officials from various departments have embarked on a survey to assess the damage wrought by the heavy showers in the region this year.
The preliminary observations made by the officials will be compiled into a report and submitted to the state government.Given that victims of the 2019 flood in Bagalkot, Raichur, Belagavi, Gadag and Yadgir districts are still waiting for the disbursal of a portion of the compensation, many North Karnataka activists have dubbed the current survey an ‘eye wash’ meant to give those in distress a sense of false hope.
Belagavi deputy commissioner MG Hiremath said that nearly 43,000 hectares of agricultural land across the district, in addition to 3,000 hectares under cultivation of horticulture crops, had been destroyed in the flood. He said that the government team would, in the course of the survey, arrive at an exact estimation of the losses that the farmers have sustained as a consequence of the natural calamity. The team comprises officials from the departments of agriculture, horticulture and revenue. The team will be assisted by personnel from the zilla panachayat and staff from the local tahsildar’s office. Officials from the revenue department will take stock of the damage to the houses.
Captain K Rajendra, Bagalkot DC, said that the government would decide on the quantum of compensation to be paid to the victims of the disaster following the submission of the preliminary report. “The state will take a call on disbursing money from the corpus of the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF). The survey is being carried out at an accelerated pace, and we will have an estimate on the losses sustained soon,” Rajendra told TOI.
Raichur DC Venkatesh Kumar said that, although farmers had not reported destruction of washing away of standing crops in the district, seven to eight houses had been damaged owing to heavy rain. He said that victims would be paid a sum of Rs 50,000 from the ‘calamity funds’ in the coffers of the district administration.
Ashok Chandaragi, a political activist, said that there were nearly 10,000 applications seeking compensation for losses sustained during the 2019 floods in Belagavi alone awaiting clearance. “The state government does not have sufficient funds, as was indicated by chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s request for financial assistance from the central government. When will the state government compensate victims that the current survey will identify? How long will the people have to suffer?” asked Chandaragi.