67 dead as record-breaking rainfall batters Karnataka, over 19 lakh at risk: Report

IKarnataka received 270 mm of rainfall up to May 29,150 per cent above the expected 108 mm average for the March–May pre-monsoon period.

Torrential pre-monsoon rains sweeping across Karnataka since April have left 67 people dead and over 19.32 lakh others vulnerable to floods and landslides, according to a grim update shared with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a state-level review meeting on Friday, Deccan Herald reported.

All 31 districts in the state have recorded above-normal rainfall.

In what officials say is the wettest May in 125 years, Karnataka received 270 mm of rainfall up to May 29,150 per cent above the expected 108 mm average for the March–May pre-monsoon period. All 31 districts in the state have recorded above-normal rainfall, impacting thousands of families and villages.

As many as 2,252 villages have reported flood or landslide-related damage. At least 1,702 homes have been damaged. For families whose homes have been fully destroyed, the government will offer ₹1.25 lakh as compensation, in addition to facilitating the construction of new homes. “DCs must take the lead in ensuring this happens swiftly,” the CM Sidddaramaiah said.

Task forces comprising officials from multiple departments have been formed at the gram panchayat level to prepare for and manage natural disasters.

Siddaramaiah lashes out

According to the publication, in the meeting, Siddaramaiah also lashed out at district officials over the slow pace of clearing encroachments on lakes, an issue he believes is worsening urban flooding. Of the 41,849 lakes under the Minor Irrigation Department, 14,533 are encroached. So far, only 6,808 have been cleared.

Highlighting the severity of the situation in coastal regions, the CM asked Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who oversees Dakshina Kannada district, to head there immediately after reports of four rain-related deaths. Rao travelled to Mangaluru on Friday evening to oversee relief work, the report added.

As the rains continue to wreak havoc, the state government is under pressure to not just offer relief but also push long-term reforms in urban planning, lake management, and disaster preparedness.