'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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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
