'Above normal' rains in Karnataka this year, 133 people dead: Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda
Bengaluru: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday that 133 people have died this year due to "above-normal" rains in the state.
He also outlined the government's efforts to provide immediate relief and long-term solutions, noting that the state frequently faces natural disasters due to heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides.
"The state has received 20 per cent above-normal rainfall this year, but it was uneven, with some areas receiving less rain. A total of 133 people have lost their lives due to rains and related incidents in the state this year, and Rs 5 lakh compensation has been paid to the families of the deceased, totalling Rs 6.64 crore," Gowda said.
Further, 714 livestock losses have been reported, with compensation of Rs 1.20 crore paid, he added.
"Kharif crops were damaged across nearly 1.6 lakh hectares, with Rs 94.94 crore in compensation paid. Meanwhile, Rabi crops on over 1.45 lakh hectares also suffered damage, and compensation of Rs 112.17 crore is being processed," he said.
Additionally, 20,893 houses were damaged due to rains, including 3,200 that were completely destroyed, the minister said, adding, the government has paid Rs 82.20 crore as compensation for damaged houses.
Gowda said the total compensation for rain-related damages this year amounts to Rs 297 crore, with Rs 80.47 crore allocated for repairing public infrastructure.
Furthermore, as a permanent measure to prevent landslides, six districts -- Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Kodagu, and Chikkamagaluru-- have been identified as "landslide-prone", with 863 gram panchayats flagged by the national geological survey.
Gowda said Rs 425 crore has been allocated for landslide prevention in these districts, with Rs 116 crore earmarked for 152 works under the first phase.
For "flood prevention", Rs 184 crore has been allocated, with 259 projects to be taken up across the state, he added.
In Bengaluru, 856 kilometres of primary and secondary stormwater drains, along with 200 kilometres of tertiary drains, have been identified for flood mitigation. Of these, 750 kilometres have been remodelled, while 350 kilometres remain pending. The government plans to complete the remaining 350 kilometres within a year at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore, he said.
Additionally, Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated to the BWSSB for building underground drainage systems to prevent sewage from mixing with rainwater, Gowda added.
"These projects will be taken up as one-time, end-to-end solutions," Gowda said, adding that Rs 3,000 crore for Bengaluru flood mitigation will be sourced from the World Bank.
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
