Karnataka's flood-related losses estimated at Rs 7,647 crore

The Karnataka government has estimated losses to the tune of Rs 7,647.13 crore caused by heavy rainfall that pounded the state during the months of July and August.

The government has sought the Centre to release Rs 1,012.5 crore as compensation as per National Disaster Response Fund guidelines and to depute an Inter-Ministerial Central Team to assess the losses faced by the state due to floods.

According to Revenue Minister R Ashoka, crop loss and damage to houses is estimated at Rs 3,973.83 crore, while infrastructure loss caused by damages to roads and bridges was estimated at Rs 3,673.3 crore.

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The state has petitioned the Centre to release the second instalment of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) worth Rs 332 crore in advance to provide compensation and take up relief activities in the state.

For the current fiscal, Karnataka is sanctioned SDRF worth Rs 885 crore, of which Rs 664 crore was the share of the Centre and Rs 221 crore was state government's share. The first instalment of Rs 332 crore is already released by the Centre, Ashoka said.

Surveys conducted by the state government revealed agriculture crop loss in 5.51 lakh hectares, horticulture crop loss in 17,050 hectares and multi-year crop loss in 12,014 hectares. Crop loss was reported in a total of 5.81 lakh hectare land in Karnataka.

Due to flooding, as many as 23,794 houses suffered damages, of which 9,776 houses were damaged completely or severely.

"Karnataka is facing floods and landslides for the fifth consecutive year," the minister said.

The government has also estimated damages to 22,734 km of roads, 1,471 bridges and canals, 499 minor irrigation tanks, 6,998 classrooms, 236 primary healthcare centres, 3,879 anganwadis among others. Apart from it, 24,052 electric poles, 2,221 transformers and power lines running a length of 497 km were also damaged, Ashok said.

The government has taken up relief activities to aid those affected by the current spell of flooding and 8,217 people are shifted to safer locations. Till date, the state government has released Rs 12.94 crore as immediate relief for 12,946 families, he added.