Search operation intensified on Brahmagiri Hills

The search operation on Brahmagiri Hills, where a family went missing, was intensified on Sunday. The NDRF, SDRF and police personnel carried out search operations and could not trace Talacauvery Kshetra Chief Priest Narayana Achar and three others.

The intermittent rain has been hampering the operation at Talacauvery. The team has been successful in reaching to the spot where the house of the priest was located. The excavators have been pressed into service to clear the mounds of soil.

Among the five persons, who went missing, the body of Anandatheertha was recovered on Saturday. The rescue team has recovered clothes, vessels, photos and coins from the spot.

The spot where hillock slid has turned slushy. There are possibilities of rescue team facing hardship even if they lose balance slightly. Water is also gushing at the landslide affected area. Landslide has occurred on at least 15 locations in Bhagamandala and Talacauvery.

Bhagamandala resident Sunil said, “The rain in the Brahmagiri hills, the catchment area of river Cauvery, helps in the inflow of water to the river. The region was experiencing heavy rainfall in the past. However, such disaster had not occurred in the past.”

The Talacauvery priest had coffee estate at Bhagamandala and had a stock of cardamom and pepper in the house. There were also ornaments in the house. Now, everything has been washed away in the fury of the nature, said the local residents with tears in their eyes.

Narayana Achar’s two daughters are settled in Australia. On hearing the tragedy, they have reached Dubai and will arrive in Kodagu shortly, a family member, who was at the spot of search operation, told DH. Another son had expired a few years ago.

The flood situation in Bhagamandala has receded and road is opened for movement of vehicles. A large number of locals are visiting the site to have a glimpse of the place.

Spl package

KPCC president D K Shivakumar who visited the spot said that the government should release special package of Rs 10,000 crore to Kodagu district. The district has been witnessing rain-related tragedies for the last few years.

Speaking to mediapersons at Talacauvery, he said, “We want to save Kodagu that supplies water to several districts in Karnataka. We have been living with the source of water from River Cauvery. The flood has created untold miseries in different parts of the state.”

Will seek more funds

Revenue Minister R Ashoka, who visited Kodagu on Sunday, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would conduct a video conference with the rain-affected state authorities on Monday.

“We will seek additional funds from the Centre to tackle the situation. I have directed officials to conduct a survey on the loss of crops. The Centre has released Rs 310 crore grant.”