Flood-related damage estimated at ₹166 crore in Udupi district

As the rains subsided in coastal Karnataka’s Udupi, the district administration has said that a loss of around ₹166 crore has been reported due to the downpour so far

As the rains subsided in coastal Karnataka’s Udupi, the district administration has said that a loss of around ₹166 crore has been reported due to the downpour so far.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the situation will be reviewed again in August and necessary funds will be released. (HT File)

Deputy commissioner (DC) M Kurma Rao on Tuesday said that the survey work of assessing the loss due to the rain is going on in the district. “As per the latest estimate, the loss is around ₹166 crore. We will be making a special request for funds from the state government,”Rao said.

According to the district administration, one bridge and one building, 150 schools under the public education department, 70 anganwadis, 20 bridges, 1,283 electricity poles, 20 transformers, 905.85-km road and 35.90 km of electricity supply cables have been damaged.

“We need ₹76 crore for urgent relief work. However, fundamental infrastructure like bridge and road repairs are being done with the grant that is made available from time to time. The damage survey is also ongoing,” Rao said.

Talking to the media after chairing a meeting to review rescue and relief works in flood-affected districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the situation will be reviewed again in August and necessary funds will be released.

“The officials of NDRF, SDRF, the district administration and legislators are ready to take up relief works on a war footing. Last year ₹1,600 crore was paid within a month to farmers to compensate for their crop losses in 14 lakh hectares. This year too, compensation will be released immediately,” he said.

Earlier, on July 13, Bommai had said that ₹500 crore will be released for the repair and restoration of roads, bridges, powerlines and other infrastructure damaged during the recent rains and floods in the state.

He said that the state government will approach the Centre for assistance to take up relief works after getting reports on the extent of damages from the districts.

Bommai had announced that a solatium of ₹4 lakh is being paid by the Union government to the families of those killed in natural calamities like floods. However, the state government later raised it to ₹5 lakh.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that light to moderate rain is very likely to occur at most places over coastal Karnataka and at many places over interior Karnataka till Thursday morning. Heavy rain is also likely to occur at isolated places over Kalburgi, Bidar, Raichur and Yadgiri districts of Karnataka till Thursday morning.

According to IMD, southwest monsoon was active over north interior Karnataka; however, it was weak over coastal Karnataka and south interior Karnataka. Rainfall occurred at most places over coastal Karnataka; at many places over north interior Karnataka and at a few places over south interior Karnataka.