4,225 people rescued in flood-hit Kodagu amid rains
Kodagu (Karnataka), Aug 19 : A total of 4,225 marooned people have been rescued so far in Karnataka's flood-hit Kodagu district even as incessant rains continued to hamper relief work, said an official on Sunday.
"Though the intensity of rainfall has reduced, the rainfall remained unabated. As of 3 p.m., 4,225 people in Kodagu district have been rescued and brought to safety through joint operations by state and central agencies," a statement from the state disaster management authority said.
Of the rescued, 3,601 are staying in 36 relief shelters in the district.
The unabated rains, leading to flooding and landslips, have claimed eight lives so far in the region, the statement added.
The authorities, however, did not reveal the number of people stranded across the hilly district as communication lines were snapped due to landslides and damage to networks.
Several hundreds are suspected to be stranded in the district's towns and villages on hilltops, which have been cut off due to landslides and damaged roads.
Located in the Western Ghats mountain ranges, this coffee-growing district, about 270 km from Bengaluru, is the worst-hit due to the south-west monsoon rains since June first week.
About 123 km of roads are estimated to be damaged due to the rains, while more than 800 homes have been destroyed. Most of the district's arterial roads have been damaged due to landslides, delaying the rescue operations, officials said.
The heavy rains in coastal district of Dakshina Kannada have claimed one life, forcing nearly 800 people to live in temporary shelters, the statement added.
Over 60 people have been stranded in Mukkodlu village of Kodagu district, but airlifting them has not been possible due to the bad weather, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had earlier said.
About 50 Dogra Regiment soldiers, 12 expert naval divers, 62 officials from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 750 fire services officials and Home guards with boats and hundreds of volunteers have been carrying out relief work in the district.
In all, 1,194 specialised rescuers from state and central agencies are on job.
"Bread and other dry eatables and rations have been airdropped in the inaccessible villages of the district," the statement said.
The Chief Minister on Sunday toured across the district and visited relief camps and affected villages in the district.
Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister H.D. Revanna and district in-charge minister Sa Ra Mahesh visited the villages and towns severely affected by the flood.
About 300 people were rescued on Saturday, including 30 senior citizens and 50 children.
Hundreds of volunteers from state capital Bengaluru and across the state have been gathering relief material, including dry food, water, milk, clothing, medicines, etc., which are being sent to those in the temporary shelters.
Over the last 24 hours, the district received an average rainfall of 5.4 cm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Few parts of the district received rain upto 11.5 cm.
The rainfall, however was "moderate" from the earlier "very heavy" rains the district received till Friday, the IMD said.
The water being released from Harangi reservoir in the district across Harangi river, one of Cauvery's tributaries, has been adding to the flooding of towns and villages in the region.
The state-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Sunday resumed all its intra-state bus services towards Kodagu and Mangaluru and inter-state services towards Kerala.
The bus services were suspended in the past few days to Kodagu, Mangaluru and flood-hit Kerala due to the landslips and damaged roads caused by the rains.
The South Western Railway's (SWR) train services were, however, cancelled or partially suspended and diverted between Yesvantpur in Bengaluru and Kochuveli in Thiruvananthapuram, Mangaluru to Karwar in Uttara Kannada due to landslides and floods.
The SWR on Sunday transported relief material including water, food, milk and clothing for thousands of people living in shelters in neighbouring Kerala via train from Bengaluru.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
