Need felt to shift people on river banks to safer places

Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal and Superintendent of Police Kshama Mishra visited the flood-prone regions on the river banks in Siddapura and Nellihudikeri limits on Friday.

Villages of Karadogodu and Guhya in Siddapura Gram Panchayat limits, Bettadakadu, Kumbaragundi and Baradi regions in Nellihudikeri Gram Panchayat limits have been witnessing floods for the last few years during the monsoon.

People residing in the regions had taken shelter at the relief centres during the 2019 and 2020 floods.

Currently, the residents have been living in the temporary sheds built on the river banks. As the monsoon is fast approaching, the deputy commissioner visited the flood-prone regions and took stock of the precautionary measures that need to be taken.

Speaking later, she said that all necessary measures have been taken towards the rescue and relief activities.

There are plans to open more relief centres as Covid-19 is spreading and there is a necessity to follow social distancing and Covid-19 guidelines, she added.

Charulata Somal inspected the site in Abhyatmangala village where the encroachments were cleared to provide sites for the flood victims in Nellihudikeri.

She later visited the water supply plant in Betri, maintained by Virajpet Town Panchayat. She directed the officials to increase the height of the plant.

As the water level rises during the rainy season, the basement of the water supply plant gets filled with sand, causing problems in the storage of water. This resulted in disruption of the supply of water to Virajpet town.

Currently, the plant is at a height of 25 feet from ground level. As per the expert opinion, the plant should be elevated by another 15 feet to avoid the accumulation of sand in the plant, said the deputy commissioner.

She also visited Betri bridge and the houses in the nearby areas.

Superintendent of Police Kshama Mishra, Assistant Commissioner Eshwar Kumar Khandu and Virajpet Tahsildar Dr Yogananda were present.