Govt to take final decision on rejecting Kasturirangan report after discussion: CM Siddaramaiah

Team Udayavani, Aug 2, 2024, 7:56 PM IST

Madikeri: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Friday (August 2) that the state government has decided to reject the Kasturirangan report. He mentioned that a final decision would be made after further discussions with the Forest Minister.

Speaking at a press conference after inspecting flood and landslide-affected areas, the Chief Minister said that the state has allocated Rs 46 crore into the PD account of Kodagu district. He assured that additional funds would be provided if necessary.

He stated that continuous rainfall has made it challenging to address the landslide-affected areas. Out of 20 reported landslides, many areas have experienced minor soil erosion. Fortunately, there have been no casualties, although several people have been injured.

He mentioned that 67 houses have been completely destroyed, and 176 houses have been partially damaged within the last 24 hours. Affected families will receive compensation, with Rs 1.20 lakh for completely destroyed houses and Rs 50,000 for partially damaged ones.

The Chief Minister also informed that 16 livestock have perished, and a compensation of Rs 35,000 per livestock has been provided. Fourteen relief camps have been set up, with 186 people currently housed in 10 of them. Siddaramaiah personally interacted with the camp residents in Thora camp.

He noted that 28 hectares of horticultural crops have been damaged. The Coffee Board and the Revenue Department have been instructed to conduct a joint survey. He also reported that 2,708 electric poles have been damaged, with most being replaced except for 150.  Additionally, 47 damaged transformers have been replaced. Roads spanning 344 kilometers under the Public Works Department and Zilla Panchayat have been damaged, and repair works are being prioritized, he added.

He highlighted that rainfall this year is 50% higher than usual, and both preventive and relief measures are being expedited. Clear instructions have been given to complete the repair works at the District Collector’s office landslide site by December.

Siddaramaiah also mentioned plans to visit Shiradi Ghat to assess the situation there. Permanent solutions for landslide-prone areas will be determined based on the Geological Survey of India’s report.

District In-Charge Minister N S Boseraju, MLA Ponanna, MLA Mantar Gowda, and Chief Secretary to the Government Shalini Rajneesh were present at the press conference.