845 houses, 123 km road damaged in Kodagu: CM Kumaraswamy
Disaster claims 12 lives
Bengaluru, August 20: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that the natural disaster has literally devastated the Kodagu district where 12 persons were died and 845 houses were completely damaged in the floods and landslides.
Speaking to reporters at his Home Office Krishna here on Monday, the Chief Minister said that he conducted aerial survey for two days in Kodagu where landslidings were occurred in many places. Total 773 houses were partially damaged. Around 123 km roads, 58 bridges, 278 government buildings and 3,800 electric poles were damaged in the incident. The normal life was affected severely. So far, 4,320 people were rescued. As the rain was subsidized since Sunday evening, relief works and rescue operations were intensified, he said.
Total 1,725 specially trained experts from district administration, police department, State Reserve Police Force, Army, Air Force, Navy, NDRF, Revenue Department, NCC, Citizens Protection Group, Home Guards and others have been working on war footing for round-the-clock. M-17 helicopter of Indian Air Force has been working from Harangi reservoir. Every day, the Chief Secretary of the Government and other senior officers of the departments have been overseeing the situation and providing the updates, he said.
The President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister have spoken to him over telephone and got the details about the situation. They have provided required help and promised further assistance. Today afternoon, the Chief Secretary held a video conference with the deputy commissioners of Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and directed them to take all possible measures. The normal life in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts was limping to normalcy. Though the rain was subsidized in Kodagu, the normal life was gone out of control. Taking relief measures to rebuild the entire district was a real challenge to the state government now, the CM said.
District Minister, district secretary, DGP Fire Brigade, two ADGPs, and two additional chief secretaries have camped in the district and overseeing the relief works. Some of the district level officers of neighbouring Mysuru and Dakshina Kannada districts have been working in Kodagu. Probationary IAS officers working in Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts were deputed to Kodagu, he said.
Total 41 relief centres were opened in Kodagu and nine centres in Dakshina Kannada district. Total 6,620 distressed people were given shelter in those centres where milk and drinking water was made available. The relief materials being supplied from other places were collected in the APMC yard and distributing through gram panchayats, he said.
The government has deputed five special medical teams and 10 revenue officers teams for the relief works. Total 60 JCB machines and 20 Bolero vehicles were pressed into action. Within next ten days, temporary aluminum sheds would be put up for the people, for which the place is being finalized, he said.
Three extensions in Kushalnagar were submerged and a technical team from BBMP has been to Kodagu to pump the water out of the extension. In order to contain the possible outbreak of contagious diseases after the flood situation, the government has already constituted medical and non-medical teams and special units of the Health department and those teams would work in the district.
Under the MNREGS, the local labourers at Madikeri, Kushalnagar, Suntikoppa, Somwarpet and other towns would be provided jobs of removing the debris and waste generated from the flood. As the books and uniforms supplied to schools and colleges in the district were damaged, fresh sets of textbooks and uniforms would be provided to the students, he said.
He has also directed the authorities to give Rs 3,800 to each family of 5,800 distressed people sheltered in relief camps. He also directed the Food and Civil Supplies department and the district administration to start 10 mobile units to provide 10 kg of rice, one kg of sugar, one kg of tur dal, five litre kerosene and five litre of palm oil to the door-steps of 50,000 families in the district, he added.
The PWD authorities have been trying to remove the mud covered on the Bhagamandala-Napoklu-Ayyangeri, and Sullia-Madikeri linking roads. KPTCL and CHESCOM have constituted special teams to restore the power connectivity in rural and urban areas as early as possible. For school children, it was directed to take special classes to cover the portions. The transfer of officials was suspended in the district and vacant posts would be filled immediately, he said.
IAS officers would be entrusted the responsibility of preparing the list of loss in each taluk and oversee the construction of houses, he said.
For donations
The donors who want to donate for the flood victims, could contribute to the ‘Chief Minister’s Relief Fund’ account. Account Name: Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Natural Disaster-2018, Bank: State Bank of India, Branch: Vidhana Soudha, A/c: 37887098605, IFSC Code: SBIN0040277, MICR No: 560002419. The donations would have Income Tax relaxation under Income Tax Act 80-G.
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Puttur: Four arrested for alleged negligent disposal of Dalit labourer’s body
Puttur (Karnataka), Nov 26: Four people have been arrested for allegedly disposing of a Dalit labourer’s body negligently in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, Shivappa (70), a resident of Keremoole near Sullia, worked as an assistant mason at Tauro Cement Fabrication Unit in Salmara village. He reportedly collapsed and died during work hours on November 16.
Instead of providing medical assistance or notifying his family, the factory owner, Henry Tauro, allegedly loaded Shivappa’s body onto a pickup truck and dumped it near his home, placing it on wooden logs by the roadside, according to police.
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The incident sparked outrage among Dalit organisations in Puttur, including the Adi Dravida Samaja Seva Sangha, who demanded a thorough investigation.
Protests over delays in apprehending the accused intensified public pressure, leading to the arrests of Tauro, his son Kiran, their assistant Prakash, and a mason named Stany.
According to a complaint lodged by Shivappa's son-in-law, the accused brought Shivappa home unresponsive on the evening of November 16. He was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
A case has been registered under the Prevention of Atrocities Against Dalits Act, and investigations are underway to establish the cause of death and examine allegations of mishandling the victim’s body, police added.
