Rs 3K cr needed for roads, bridges: officials

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has directed the authorities to submit details of the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction works to be carried out in Kodagu and other districts in the next two days.

Kumaraswamy, on Monday, convened a high-level meeting to put together a proposal to be submitted to the Centre seeking financial assistance for the losses caused in Kodagu and other districts like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi and Mysuru.

Officials informed the chief minister that there were extensive damages to more than 800 houses besides national and state highways and district roads, covering a total length of 2,225 km. They said 240 bridges and 65 government buildings had been wrecked.

An estimated amount of Rs 3,000 crore would be required for reconstructing roads, bridges and government buildings, they said.

Officials said as there was no access to major national highways due to landslides, vehicular movement had been stopped on highways including NH 275 (Madikeri to Sullia), NH 75 (Sakleshpur to Gundia) and NH 234 (Kottigehara to Charmadi). In Kodagu district, nearly 4,500 people had been rescued from flood-affected areas, while 7,500 displaced persons had been given shelter at 53 relief centres. Every day 50,000 food packets are being distributed, officials said.

Kumaraswamy has directed the officials to prepare a report on the damages to key infrastructure; estimated details of damages to private buildings and residences; a separate report on damages to coffee, arecanut, pepper, and paddy; a blueprint to rebuild villages as model villages; and to take up repair works of village roads on priority.

He asked them to collect the opinions of the displaced people on the kind of reconstruction activities needed and also attach details on the compensation given to families for loss of life and injuries sustained. He has directed them to provide only clean drinking water and create awareness among people to consume boiled water and control the spread of contagious diseases.

Ministers Krishna Byre Gowda, D K Shivakumar, U T Khader, Sa Ra Mahesh, chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, and others were present at the meeting.