73 people die due to flood, rain-related incidents in Karnataka
Bengaluru(PTI): As many as 73 people lost their lives while 7,386 people have taken shelter in 75 relief camps in Karnataka due to floods and rain-related incidents during the ongoing monsoon, state Revenue Minister R Ashoka said on Monday.
The minister said 161 villages in 14 districts were badly hit by the heavy rains and floods affected 21,727 people in recent days.
"As many as 73 people lost their lives, which comprises 15 deaths due to lightning, five due to tree collapse, 19 due to house collapse, 24 swept away in rivers, nine due to landslide and one due to electrocution. These incidents happened from June 1 to August 7," the minister said at a press conference.
As many as 8,197 people were shifted to safety, Ashoka said, adding, 75 relief camps have been opened where 7,386 people have taken shelter.
The minister said 666 houses have been completely damaged while 2,949 were severely damaged and 17,750 houses were partially damaged. Agriculture crops in 1,29,087 hectares and horticulture crops in 7,942 hectares were damaged, the minister said.
He also said the rains this year damaged 11,768 km of road, 1,152 bridges and culverts, 122 primary health centres, 2,249 anganwadi centres and 95 irrigation lakes.
"We have directed the deputy commissioners to intensify the relief work. The districts have a fund of Rs 857 crore (to take up relief works)," Ashoka said.
The minister said Rs 5 lakh is given as compensation to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in flood-related incidents, which includes Rs 4 lakh from the National Disaster Response Fund.
Those who lost their houses completely will get Rs 5 lakh whereas for severely and partially damaged houses, the government gives Rs 3 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively, as compensation.
He also said the state government has improved the relief camps by giving food kits, which comprise 10 kg rice, one kg pulse, one kg sugar, one kg salt, chilli powder, one litre oil, and other essential spices.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Baloch Liberation Army strikes 51 sites across Pakistan, proclaims ‘new order’ in South Asia
_vb_66.jpeg)
Balochistan: In an unprecedented escalation, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for a major offensive comprising 71 coordinated attacks across more than 51 locations in what it refers to as "occupied Balochistan." The group has declared that a "new order has become inevitable" in South Asia, issuing a stark warning of impending regional transformation.
According to the BLA, the targets included Pakistani military convoys, intelligence centers, and mineral transport operations. The outfit described the attacks as a demonstration of tactical capability aimed at testing military coordination, ground control, and defensive readiness in anticipation of more organized future warfare.
Rejecting allegations of being a foreign proxy, the BLA asserted its independent agency, calling itself a “dynamic and decisive party” in the region's evolving strategic landscape. “The BLA is neither a pawn nor a silent spectator,” said BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch. “We have our rightful place in the current and future military, political and strategic formation of this region.”
The BLA further criticized Pakistan for what it described as duplicitous peace overtures, calling such gestures “a deception, a war tactic and a temporary ruse.” The group warned India and the international community against being misled by what it termed Pakistan’s “deceptive peace rhetoric.”
Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) also came under sharp attack in the BLA’s statement, which accused the agency of sponsoring terrorism. “Pakistan has become a nuclear state of violent ideology,” the statement read, citing links to global terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and ISIS.
The group appealed for international support, particularly from India, seeking political, diplomatic, and defense assistance to end what it called “the terrorist state.” It argued that such support could lead to the establishment of a “peaceful, prosperous and independent Balochistan.”
The BLA warned that Pakistan's continued trajectory poses a threat to global security. “The control of nuclear weapons by a fanatical military establishment is a ticking time bomb, not only for the region but for the world,” it stated.
In response, Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, downplayed the scale of the unrest, suggesting it was driven by no more than 1,500 individuals.
_vb_43.jpeg)
_vb_40.jpeg)