Have taken up challenge to restore rain-battered Bengaluru: CM Bommai
‘Maladministration of Cong governments has led to deluge in capital city’
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday blamed the previous Congress governments' 'maladministration' and unprecedented rains in the capital city for the deluge.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, despite all odds, his government has taken it up as a challenge to restore the rain-battered city, and ensure that such things don't recur.
Owing to the torrential downpour that lashed the state capital for the last couple of days, several areas are still under water with houses and vehicles partially inundated, thereby affecting normal life.
"Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, has not received unprecedented heavy rain. For the last 90 years, such rain has not been recorded. All the tanks are overflowing; some of them have breached. There have been continuous rains, every day it is raining," Bommai said.
He said, a picture is being portrayed that the entire city is facing difficulties, which is not the case. "Basically, the issue lies in two zones, particularly the Mahadevapura zone, for reasons such as the presence of 69 tanks in that small area. Almost all the tanks have either breached or are overflowing. Secondly, all establishments are in low lying areas, and the third is encroachments," he listed out.
Blaming the "maladministration and unplanned administration" of the previous Congress governments for the present day misery, Bommai said that they had given permissions for construction activities "right-left-centre" in the lake areas, on the tank bunds and buffer zones. They had never thought of maintaining the lakes, he said.
Stating that his government has taken overcoming the situation as a "challenge", the CM said, officers, engineers, workers and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are working round-the-clock. "I have given Rs 1,500 crores for development of storm water drains, I have yesterday released Rs 300 crore to remove all encroachments and do a pucca structure along the storm water drains and for the infrastructure, so that there are no impediments and bottleneck in the flow of water,” said Bommai.
"We have cleared lots of encroachments and will continue to do so. We are installing sluice gates by the tanks so that they can be managed better. I have instructed officials to ensure that the control room staff work for longer hours. We have started dewatering in most of the areas. Other than one or two areas, almost all areas have been dewatered," Bommai said, adding that there is no respite from rain for such work to continue properly.
Observing that the T K Halli pump house in Malavalli taluk of Mandya, which pumps Cauvery water to Bengaluru, is affected due to overflowing of the Bheemeshwara River and water from the surrounding lakes, the CM said, two pump houses were affected. “Flood water is being drained out, but it will take two days to drain out water and to resume work in full capacity,” he added.
An alternative plan has been formulated for water supply to Bengaluru, he said. “Around 8,000 bore wells are under the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and 4,000 under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be activated and they would supply water during the disruption in Cauvery water supply to areas. Water in tankers will be supplied on behalf of the government to the areas where there are no bore wells, he added. "I request cooperation from the people for the next couple of days,” Bommai stated.
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Nine Naxalites carrying cumulative bounty of Rs 43 lakh surrender in Chhattisgarh
Sukma, Jan 11: Nine hardcore Naxalites, allegedly involved in attacks on security forces and carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 43 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, police said.
The cadres, including two women, turned themselves in before senior officials from the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) here, citing disappointment with "hollow" and "inhuman" Maoist ideology and infighting within the outlawed outfit, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said.
He said the surrendered Naxalites were also impressed by the state government's 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme, which aims at facilitating development works in remote villages and stated that senior cadres were on backfoot with the increasing pressure of security forces and setting up of police camps in interior areas.
The official said Ransai alias Oyam Buska (34), the commander of platoon no 24 of Maoists, and Pradip alias Ravva Rakesh (20), a member under a company wing of PLGA battalion no. 1, were carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each.
He said four other cadres carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, a woman Naxalite carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh, and two others, including a woman, carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each.
Chavan said Ransai was allegedly involved in attacks, including the Jhara Ghati ambush in Narayanpur district in 2007, wherein seven policemen were killed; the 2007 Ranibodli (Bijapur district) attack, in which 55 security personnel died; the 2017 ambush in Burkapal (Sukma), where 25 CRPF personnel were killed and the 2020 Minpa ambush (Sukma) that killed 17 security personnel.
The other surrendered cadres were also involved in multiple attacks on security forces, he said.
Personnel from Konta police station, District Reserve Guard (DRG), Intelligence Branch Team and 2nd and 223rd battalions played a crucial role in their surrender, he said.
The official said the surrendered Naxalites were provided Rs 25,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy.
Last year, 792 Naxalites had surrendered in the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Sukma.
