Bengaluru: Heavy rains have destroyed everything in Karnataka. The state government said on Wednesday that since June 1, several incidents like water-logging, lightning, house collapse, tree fall, and landslides have taken place in the state, due to which 38 people have lost their lives and 35 have been injured. According to the state government, 57 houses were completely damaged, 208 houses were severely damaged and 2,682 houses were slightly damaged.
105 cattle have died due to rain in Karnataka. As of Wednesday, crops in an area of 541.39 hectares were submerged, including 185 hectares of agriculture crops and 356 hectares of horticulture crops. In addition, 2109 km of roads were damaged, including 407 km of highways and 1277 km of district highways and rural roads. The state government said that 189 bridges, 889 school rooms, 8 primary centers, and 269 Anganwadi centers have been reported damaged.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday held a video call with District Collectors and Chief Executive Officers of District Panchayats to review the state’s weather, rainfall, and agriculture activities. Emphasizing the precautionary measures to be taken to avoid rain-related deaths and damages, Siddaramaiah suggested that the district administration should do more in this regard.
Siddaramaiah said, ‘Many farmers cannot be displaced due to floods. Take action for relocation as soon as the flood is forecast. There are widespread complaints from the people that the alternative houses built by the previous government are unfit for habitation, so more emphasis should be laid on preventive measures.
The Chief Minister directed to take action to prevent people from going near the water bodies. He said that people should be sensitized about it and that work should be done to create awareness to save lives. Siddaramaiah said, “To some extent, the authorities have advanced knowledge about the places where landslides can occur. Loss of life and property can be avoided if there is coordination between the police and the rural development department.
According to the state government, Karnataka witnessed a rainfall deficit of 56% in June due to Cyclone Biperjoy. However, July saw 313 mm of rain, which is 37% more than normal. The state government said that since June 1, four districts have received heavy rains, 21 districts have received normal rains, and six districts are rain deficient.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy rain in the coastal Karnataka region and issued a red alert till Thursday morning. The Meteorological Department also issued Orange Alert predicting extremely heavy rainfall and Yellow Alert predicting heavy rainfall for three districts – Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada. The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Belagavi, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu and a yellow alert for Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Hassan, and Shivamogga till Thursday morning.
