Karnataka to seek special grants from Centre for rain havoc in Bengaluru: CM Bommai
Bengaluru, Sep 7: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said his government will seek special grants from the Union government as compensation for the damages caused in rain-battered Bengaluru.
He held a meeting with the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) headed by Home Ministry's joint secretary Ashish Kumar, which is visiting Karnataka to take stock of the flood havoc in the State.
We have shared details on damages caused during three stages of rainfall - July, August and the first week of September, Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said another meeting would be held with the IMCT after it visits various districts, including parts of Bengaluru.
"IMCT will be given a final memorandum then, which will be an updated version of the one we had submitted last week, he added.
Revenue Minister R Ashoka last week said the government has estimated rain related losses since June to the tune of Rs 7,647.13 crore, and will be sending a proposal to the Centre seeking a relief of Rs 1,012.5 crore as per National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms.
Bommai said the new memorandum would highlight problems that Bengaluru faced due to overflowing lakes and flooding in low-lying areas.
We will ask for a special grant. River-based floods happen for 2-3 days and then recede, but this has become a daily occurrence, which must be considered as a special case, he said, noting that he asked the IMCT to visit Mahadevapura, one of the worst rain-hit areas in the city.
Further highlighting the state's need for special grants to compensate fisherfolk who lost their boats, which is not covered under the NDRF guidelines, the CM said, "we will also seek compensation to shops and commercial establishments that have suffered due to floods as they are presently not covered under NDRF.
Also, losses caused due to landslides also deserve a special grant, he said.
The IMCT is scheduled to visit Chitradurga, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Haveri, Dharwad, Gadag, Bidar and Kalaburagi districts.
Bommai said he suggested that they also visit Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts that were worst affected due to rains, landslides and sea erosion, and also to take stock of the flood situation in Mandya and Ramanagara districts.
He also told them that Karnataka has a coastal area of 330 km and works worth Rs 350 crore have been taken up to prevent sea erosion, and central assistance was required as erosion has taken place in new spots.
The CM also explained that Rs 500 crore was released twice to take up restoration of damaged infrastructure, and another Rs 600 crore was released earlier this week.
The state is giving an additional input subsidy for crop loss and Rs 2,452 crore has been disbursed among 18.58 lakh farmers. Out of this, Rs 1,160 crore has been borne from the state exchequer, he added.
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ISRO's analogue space mission kicks off at Leh
Bengaluru, Nov 1: ISRO on Friday said its analogue space mission has taken off at Leh in Ladakh, where it will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat as India prepares to send a human to the moon.
The initiative is a collaborative effort of the Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
The month-long mission, kicked off mid-October, comes in the wake of India's plans to set up lunar habitats, which could provide a base to launch inter-planetary missions.
The geographical features of Ladakh are considered to closely resemble Martian and lunar landscapes and are an ideal training ground for scientific missions aimed at exploring planets "India's first analog space mission kicks off in Leh...this mission will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth," ISRO said in a post on X.
The team of AAKA Space Studio is testing environment suits and conducting geological studies in Leh's low-oxygen environment, simulating space-like conditions, studies that could be crucial for future space missions.
The team is also studying how the human body adapts to the harsh weather conditions in Ladakh that could be useful in understanding how astronauts could get used to space like conditions.
🚀 India’s first analog space mission kicks off in Leh! 🇮🇳✨ A collaborative effort by Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, this mission will simulate life in an… pic.twitter.com/LoDTHzWNq8
— ISRO (@isro) November 1, 2024
