The KSRTC has decided to resume its bus service to Mantralaya from Tuesday night. But, only two or three ordinary buses will ply via Ananthpur and Adoni. “The regular route - via Bellary - is closed due to the floods,” said Manjula Bai, PRO of KSRTC.

Rajagopalacharya, personal secretary to Suyateendra Theertha Swamiji, said volunteers from Puttige Mutt and other mutts have already begun to clean up the mutt. The process may be completed in the next two weeks.

Over 3,500 devotees and tourists were in Mantralaya on Thursday, when the town was flooded. Interestingly, not a single devotee nor a resident of Mantralaya has gone missing.

The police have not registered a single case, he said. The bodies found there were all brought by the overflowing Tungabhadra river, he said. 

The mutt has 800 employees, a majority of whom have lost their houses. Rebuilding a house costs at least Rs 2 lakh. The overall loss or the money required to rebuild the mutt as well as the town will be not less than Rs 40 crore.

The immediate task is to supply clean potable water, which is now being fetched from Hemmiganur, a taluk in Andhra Pradesh, and to restore power supply. Business people have been worst hit because they have lost their houses as well as their daily earnings, he added.

Swamiji returns safely

Meanwhile, Swamiji has returned to Mantralayala on Monday evening through roadways from Jawahar Nagar  Raghavendra Swamy Mutt.

Panel formed

The Swamiji has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Mutt’s administrator Roddam Prabhakar Rao to reconstruct Mantralaya, as well as the Mutt.

The Mutt has not appointed anyone to raise funds from the public. People can send cash, groceries and clothes. For details call 9886635372 /9880181803 /080 26702381.