Central team visits Bagalkot dist to assess flood loss

A team of central officials led by Joint Secretary to Home Department, Prakash, took stock of the damage caused to the Chikkapadasalagi bridge across River Krishna due to floods, on Monday.

The team also obtained information about the crop loss due to the flood havoc. Deputy Commissioner R Ramachandran told the visiting team that the road on the bridge had been washed away but the bottom portion of the structure, constructed around six decades ago, had not been damaged. He said there was no loss of human life in the deluge. He said that according to the report of the engineer of Public Works Department, the surface of the bridge had to be repaired at a cost of Rs 1.70 crore.

The early morning visit of the assessment team disappointed farmers since they had no opportunity to pour out their woes.

However, the people of Rabakavi Banahatti in the district got a chance to air their grievances before the visiting committee. The women of the village said that they had been without any job and income for the past one month and were finding it difficult to sustain themselves. The flood victims from Aski are housed in the government first grade college in the village.

Legislator Siddu Savadi said that 12 villages under Terdal Assembly constituency had been ravaged due to floods. He sought the team to submit a report to the Centre at the earliest for early release of compensation.

At some places women performed 'aarti' to the members of the team and some, with tears in their eyes, prostrated to the members pleading to relocate them at the earliest.

The team later visited Pattadakal, rain-affected areas in Gadag and Dharwad districts.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Hubballi, Sri Prakash said that the committee would not submit its report to the government immediately. "After receiving memorandum from the state government, Central team will come again for further assessment, and report will be submitted later," he said.

Prakash said that farmers everywhere had represented to him that the compensation they were getting was very less and the committee would consider their demand.