Flood relief: Karnataka asks for funds beyond NDRF norms

Karnataka, which is eligible for a compensation of Rs 682 crore under National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) guidelines, has urged the Inter-Ministerial Central Team to release more funds as the state has been hit by floods for three consecutive years.

The government has estimated losses to the tune of Rs 8,071 crore due to the August floods.

Addressing the reporters following a meeting with the central team, Revenue Minister R Ashoka said that the state also petitioned the Centre to set up Integrated Flood Forecasting and Response System in the River Krishna Basin.

“We have also sought a Landslide Hazard Mapping and Early Warning System to mitigate such natural disasters,” he said, adding that it would help understand reasons for landslides and to initiate precautionary measures.

The government was also contemplating to shift those in areas vulnerable to landslides. While the relief amount sanctioned by the Centre would provide only Rs 95,000 for completely damaged houses, Karnataka has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each.

“We have also written to the government to revise the NDRF guidelines and increase the relief amount by three to four times the current amount. The proposal is being discussed by the Finance Ministry,” he said.

Providing details on the losses suffered due to the floods, he said that 3.31 lakh hectare of agricultural crop, 32,976-hectare horticulture crops and 38,620 hectare of plantation crops were damaged. Apart from that, 10,978 houses, 14,182 km roads, 1,268 bridges and 3,168 government buildings suffered damages, Ashoka added.