KOCHI, August 12: The centre has sanctioned Rs. 80 crore to Kerala as initial assistance to deal with "unprecedented rains and floods," Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said today.

A central government team headed by Mr Rijiju and accompanied by Union Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam arrived in Kochi this morning. The team will visit the rain-affected districts, including Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam.

"We issued Rs. 80 crore yesterday and the state government has some amount," Mr Rijiju said, adding the centre and the state would work together to deal with the situation. He said damages caused due to flooding was being calculated.

"We will extend whatever possible help from the Government of India because Kerala has witnessed unprecedented rains and floods. We are with the people of Kerala and the central government will do whatever is required," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, a defence spokesperson said the Southern Naval Command or SNC has sent five teams to Alappuzha district to assist the civil administration in disaster relief. The teams were dispatched after a request by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in view of widespread inundation and waterlogging in the state.

Each team comprises five members and is equipped with inflatable gemini boats and other equipment including diving sets, the spokesperson said.

The SNC is ready to offer assistance with food and medical services if required by the administration, he added.

The toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala has gone up to 41 since the onset of monsoon on May 29.

As many as 1.18 lakh people have taken refuge in 606 relief camps across Kerala, as rains continued to batter several parts of the state.

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Bengaluru, Jan 25 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting the release of Rs 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra River Project.

He also addressed a letter to Union Water Resources Minister C R Patil regarding the matter.

In the letter shared with the media on Saturday, the CM reminded them that during the 2023-24 Union Budget speech, Sitharaman had announced Rs 5,300 crore as central assistance for the Upper Bhadra Project.

In the letter sent separately, Siddaramaiah stated, "The inclusion process for the Upper Bhadra Project in the National Project Scheme has been delayed, and the progress of the project is being hindered due to the non-release of Central Assistance".

He emphasised that to accelerate the project's progress, it is crucial to release the Central Assistance already announced in the 2023-24 Union Budget.

Siddaramaiah explained that the ongoing Upper Bhadra Project in central Karnataka aims to provide irrigation to 2,25,515 hectares through drip irrigation in Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, and Davanagere districts. It also seeks to supply water for filling 367 minor irrigation lakes in these districts to aid groundwater recharge, using 29.90 TMC of water.

"The components of the project were initiated in 2008, and substantial progress has been made, with the State Government incurring an expenditure of Rs 10,121.75 crore so far," the CM said.

He also mentioned that the advisory committee of the Ministry of Water Resources had on December 24, 2020, approved the techno-economic viability of the Upper Bhadra Project.

The proposal for investment clearance of the project, amounting to Rs 16,125.48 crore, was also approved in the 15th Investment Clearance Committee meeting held on March 25, 2021.

Additionally, the High-Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) has already recommended the proposal for inclusion in the National Project Scheme, Siddaramaiah explained.

He further noted that the Public Investment Board (PIB), under the Chairmanship of the Finance Secretary and Secretary (Expenditure), Ministry of Finance, had also recommended the inclusion of the Upper Bhadra Project in the National Project Scheme during its meeting on December 12, 2022.

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