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24 die in November as rain fury batters Karnataka
Opposition political parties have accused the Bommai government of mismanagement and prioritising elections over the calamity.
The Karnataka government on Sunday said that at least 24 people lost their lives due to the incessant rains in the month of November. The heavy rains continue to batter down Karnataka, leaving a trail of destruction.
“Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagar, Hassan districts have suffered extensive damage,” said the Karnataka government. According to data by the Karnataka Disaster Management Authority (KDMA), more than 658 homes were completely destroyed and nearly 8,500 homes were partially damaged.
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who held a meeting with senior officials on Sunday, instructed for the immediate release of ₹1 lakh as the first installment of relief for those who lost houses.
Opposition political parties have accused the Bommai government of mismanagement and prioritising elections over the calamity.
Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka, on Sunday questioned governance of Bommai-led government.
“Thousands of acres of paddy, ragi, maize, vegetables, banana, [and] coconuts have been destroyed. Farmers are washing their hands with tears. Ministers are on tours and officials are warmly in their homes. People are on the streets. Is there a government here?” former chief minister Siddaramaiah said in a post on Twitter.
Janta Dal (Secular) or JD (S) too criticised the Bommai government for its decision to prioritise elections when the state’s population was reeling under hardships.
“There have already been unexpected rains in massive proportions. There have been mishaps, farmers have lost crops, homes and roads are damaged. We have tried to get the government’s attention towards this.
“People are in pain. The government should not prioritise the election and first heed to the problems of the people which is their duty,” HD Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and JD(S) leader said on Sunday.
Bommai on Sunday said he had visited affected regions in the city. “State government definitely has priority for Bengaluru. Instructions have been issued to take repair and relief works in affected areas immediately after rains subside, I will go on city rounds soon,” he said. The chief minister directed that ₹25 lakh be released for each zone in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits for filing potholes.
The KDMA data showed that over 3.79 lakh hectares of agricultural crops were damaged and over 30,114 hectares of horticulture crops were lost due to the incessant rains; over 2,203 kms of roads were damaged.
An official statement by the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that “crops in 3.43 lakh hectares were affected due to incessant rains in August and September, affecting 1.5 lakh farmers, (and) ₹130cr has been released for them. Compensation for 79,000 farmers is pending and Chief Minister Bommai instructed for [the] release of ₹79 crore towards clearing the compensation due for them.”
Karnataka received 85% more rains than the average in the months of October and November, the state disaster management authority said. In the month of November, Karnataka received 129 mm actual rains against the average of 35mm, registering an excess of 271%, data showed.
Coastal Karnataka, one of the badly affected regions in the state, received 228 mm of rains as against the average of 52 mm, registering an increase of 338%.
Among the districts, Chikkaballapura, about 70 kms from Bengaluru, registered 500% increase in rainfall, receiving 251 mm in November so far against the average of 42 mm. Bengaluru Urban district recorded an increase of 364%, receiving 195 mm of rainfall against the average of 42mm between November 1 and 21.
Data showed that 21 districts have registered over 200% increase in rains in November. Only one district, Bidar, in the northeastern part of the State, registered a deficit of -1% of rains in November.
