Army to rebuild battered roads in Karnataka's Kodagu
Bengaluru, Aug 23 : The Indian Army's engineering task force will help the district administration in restoring the severely battered roads in flood-hit Kodagu district, an official said on Thursday.
"About 75 Army engineering task force personnel will be assisting the district officials in restoring the critical roads of Kodagu," the state Relief Commissioner Gangaram Baderiya said in a statement.
The heavy rains leading to flash floods and landslips in the coffee-growing district, about 270km from the state capital, have claimed 16 lives in 10 days from August 14, Baderiya said.
As the intensity of rainfall in the district reduced since Sunday, about 50 Dogra Regiment soldiers, 12 Navy divers, 62 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials, Air Force officials and other state disaster response agencies are screening all the houses in affected areas.
About 5,000 people are currently sheltered in 51 relief camps across the district.
"The state is working on constructing temporary structures using aluminium to house around 10,000 homeless people displaced due to the landslides," Baderia said.
Kodagu district officials have been asked by the state to identify land for long-term rehabilitation of the homeless.
"Housing and Revenue Departments will construct the houses within a specific timeframe," the IAS officer said.
The district officials are giving Rs 3,800 of interim relief per family as per the Karnataka government's decision to allot Rs 2.2 crore to benefit 5,800 people affected due to the floods.
In addition, the families can also receive rice, oil, sugar, salt and dal as ration.
The state has released Rs 30-crore so far for relief and restoration work.
Several schools reopened across the district on Thursday and children were seen assisting in cleaning up their classrooms.
About 60 schools in the worst affected villages and towns will, however, remain shut till Saturday for restoration.
"Water, dry food and rations have been airdropped in inaccessible villages through choppers," the statement added.
Air Force officials have been transporting relief material to Kodagu from neighbouring Mysuru district through military aircraft.
The village administrations and city municipal bodies in the district have been given Rs 50,000 each to sanitise water bodies, which have been polluted by the rains and landslides.
Under the national rural employment scheme, the district officials said they will find employment opportunities for the displaced, including involving them in clearing the debris.
The district will soon have common service centres that will issue duplicate identity cards, certificates and documents, which people may have lost in the heavy rains and floods.
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Amid blistering heat in coastal areas, Udupi DC urges precautionary measures
Udupi: Amid rising temperatures across coastal districts this summer, Udupi Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T.K. has urged the public to take necessary precautionary measures.
Chairing a meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority at the District Collectorate Hall, Rajatadri in Manipal on Tuesday, she said that people must be made aware of the risks associated with excessive heat.
She stressed the need for caution against dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, which are common during extreme weather conditions.
The Deputy Commissioner noted that heatstroke can have serious adverse effects on human health and urged the public to follow precautionary measures issued by the District Disaster Management Authority.
She directed health department officials to ensure adequate stocks of ORS and other essential medicines at all health centres to tackle heat-related illnesses. She also instructed authorities to provide clean drinking water in crowded places such as markets, bus stands and railway stations.
Immediate steps should be taken to address drinking water shortages during the summer, she said. At present, there is no shortage of fodder for cattle in the district, with sufficient stock available for the next 39 weeks across all taluks.
Highlighting the increased risk of fire accidents during summer, the Deputy Commissioner called for regular inspections of fire safety measures in hospitals, industries and other crowded places. She emphasised the need for preparedness to respond swiftly in case of fire emergencies.
Expressing dissatisfaction over delays in conducting fire safety audits despite instructions issued in the previous meeting, she directed fire department officials to complete the audits at the earliest and submit a report.
Swaroopa also instructed taluk-level task force committees to hold regular meetings and ensure there are no disruptions in drinking water supply. She added that a district-level committee has been formed under her chairmanship to handle emergencies such as oil spills, and members should be well-informed about response plans.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Abid Gadyal, ASP Sudhakar Nayak, Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary, Assistant Commissioner Rashmi, Municipal Commissioner Mahantesh Hangargi, and other district officials and tahsildars were present.
The Deputy Commissioner furthermore stressed that any issues related to drinking water supply for people and livestock in both urban and rural areas must be addressed on priority. In areas already facing shortages, borewells should be identified and water should be supplied through tankers.
She also directed that strict measures be taken to prevent the supply of contaminated water and that regular water quality testing be made mandatory.
“There are several adverse effects of extreme temperatures. Awareness should be created among both urban and rural populations through posters, banners and public announcements on the precautions to be taken. This will help safeguard public health,” Swaroopa said.
