Cabinet ministers to visit flood-hit areas

With Karnataka facing a second bout of flooding in a span of two months, which has claimed 12 lives now, the Cabinet on Tuesday decided to form ministerial teams to oversee rescue and relief operations.

“It has been decided to form teams of ministers and visit flood-hit areas starting Wednesday to check the works happening on the ground,” Law Minister J C Madhuswamy said, briefing reporters.

“The ministers will review the need for new relief centres wherever needed and hold talks with deputy commissioners on rehabilitation measures,” he added.

Rescue operations are on in full swing, Madhuswamy said. “There is no delay this time because we had everything ready given that rescue operations were conducted just two months ago,” he said.

According to Revenue Minister R Ashoka, as many as 12 persons have been killed due to heavy rainfall.

“Some districts are again staring at floods - Belagavi, Koppal, Davangere, Raichur, Bagalkot, Chitradurga, Dharwad, Haveri, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada and Mandya, where there have been losses,” he told reporters. As many as 5,444 homes have suffered damages in these districts. Also, the government has set up 12 relief centres, where 2,176 persons have taken shelter.

The Almatti, Narayanapura and Malaprabha reservoirs have reached their full capacity. Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been sent to Belagavi where two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are already stationed, Ashoka said.