Home Guards will be deployed at all empty houses in rain-ravaged Kodagu and they will keep a watch till the owners return.

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said a decision to deploy the Home Guards had been taken following reports of thefts at vacated houses. He said even the most interior of the villages would be covered and steps taken to ensure unscrupulous elements were kept out.

He said arrangements had been made to provide hot water facility at all relief camps. The process of constructing temporary shelters using aluminium sheets had commenced and would be completed in a week. The chief minister said power supply had been restored in most parts of Kodagu. Civic workers from Bengaluru and Mysuru had pumped water out of low-lying areas, Kumaraswamy said. Books will be provided to students free of cost. Schools have been closed in Kodagu for 20 days during the last two months and special classes will be held to make up for the losses in the coming days.

Food and relief materials were being supplied not only at camps but in remote villages. Government vehicles were being used to ferry the material, he said.Kumaraswamy said all financial contributions for Kodagu relief work should be made through cheque to prevent misuse. An additional Rs 100 crore had been released to Kodagu for relief work and Rs 25 crore each for Chikkamagaluru, Udupi, Shivamogga and Hassan districts, parts of which have also been affected by floods.