'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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Trump repeats claim he stopped potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan
New York/Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict and asserted that Islamabad's leadership credited him for saving millions of lives.
"We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India. And the head of Pakistan, a highly respected General, he's a Field Marshal and also the Prime Minister of Pakistan, said President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more...,” Trump said Monday.
He made these remarks at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, flanked by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“You know, eight planes were shot down. That war was starting to rage, and he actually said the other day that President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more. So we solved all these wars. The only one I haven't solved yet is Russia, Ukraine,” he said.
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Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between the two neighbours.
New Delhi has consistently denied any third-party intervention.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
