Nearly 26K people evacuated in Karnataka, 11 dead in rain fury

PTI, Aug 8, 2019, 9:34 AM IST

Bengaluru: The flood situation in parts of Karnataka remained grim on Wednesday with nearly 26,000 people being evacuated and eleven people killed in rain-related incidents in the past three days, official sources said.

The situation continued to remain grim as the floodgates were opened in the dams in neighbouring Maharashtra and barrages and reservoirs in Karnataka, where road and rail links remain hit following incessant monsoon rains.

According to information available, three deaths were reported in Belagavi, two each in Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga districts and one each in Dharwad and Hanagal district.

Two bodies which were washed away on Tuesday were also recovered during the day.

The rescue teams, including personnel from Fire and Emergency, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army, moved people from flood-affected areas to safety.

“The teams evacuated 25,794 people today. The flood situation is under control”, an official statement said.

Parts of north and coastal areas along with the Malnada region continued to reel under heavy downpour.

While Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Raichur and Yadgir had been battered by the floods, torrential rains threw life out of gear in Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Mangaluru, Kodagu, Hubballi-Dharwad, Karwar, Hassan and Shivamogga.

Belagavi, Bagalkote and Yadgir bore the brunt of the heavy downpour and water released from dams on Krishna River and its tributaries.

Government schools in Belagavi turned into rehabilitation centres where the flood-hit people shared their rooms with the livestock.

Chikkamagaluru district too was badly hit by the torrential rain. The swollen Bhadra river completely submerged the Hebbale bridge that connects Horanadu.

The opposition Congress and JDS have accused the government of “inaction” in dealing with the flood situation.

“Terrible floods in many parts of Karnataka. And CM is away politicking in Delhi”, former Minister and Congress MLA, Krishna Byre Gowda, said.

“No minister even to attend to flood problems,” he said.

Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy questioned the ‘absence’ of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa from the state.

“There are floods in many parts of Karnataka. I need to ask, Ellidiyappa Yediyurappa (Where are you Yediyurappa)?” he said at a meeting of JDS.

The opposition party, headed by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, tweeted: “12 days since new Govt, BJP still hasn’t given Karnataka a Cabinet. Government is missing”.

Yediyurappa is the only Minister in his Council of Ministers.

Yediyurappa, who was in Delhi to finalise the Cabinet formation with BJP central leadership, cut short his visit, returned to Bengaluru and later left for Belgagavi to take stock of the flood situation.

Government sources rejected the charge of Congress and JDS.

They noted that Yediyurappa had earlier this week conducted an aerial survey of the affected regions in North Karnataka.

The Chief Minister has already instructed officials to take up relief and rescue measures on a war-footing, official sources said.