Central team to visit Karnataka on September 7 to survey flood-hit districts

A 6-member Central team headed by Ministry of Home Affairs joint secretary K V Pratap will visit Karnataka to survey flood-hit districts on September 7, Revenue Minister R Ashoka said Thursday.

The state government will submit a memorandum seeking Rs 4,800 crore as the losses caused due to floods, the minister added.

“The team will come on September 7 and hold talks with the Chief Minister. On September 8, the team will visit the district centres. On September 9, the team will meet me and (revenue) principal secretary during which we will submit a memorandum,” Ashoka told reporters. “We will ask about Rs 4,800 crore.”

The 6-member Central team will visit Kodagu, Belagavi, Vijayapura and Bagalkot, Ashoka said.

Heavy rainfall since August 1 have caused flooding killing 20 people, displacing over 4,400 people and damaging over 7,000 homes. Crop losses (agriculture and horticulture) have occurred on 1.41 lakh hectares, according to government data.

The Centre has already released Rs 395 crore. The Centre has also given 9 NDRF teams that have been deployed to the districts.

Late last month, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa took up an aerial survey of flood-hit areas.

“The Centre has already released the second installment of Rs 395 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The Centre has also given nine NDRF teams that have been deployed to the districts,” Ashoka said.