May need up to ₹3,000cr to rebuild Kodagu: K’taka CM

BENGALURU: Initial estimates peg rain-related damage caused to infrastructure in Karnataka’s Kodagu district at ₹2,000-3,000 crore, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said on Monday.

Addressing a press conference in the state capital, Kumaraswamy said the government was taking steps to provide relief to those affected. “Kodagu is witnessing heavy rain after a long time. In the past week alone, seven people have died in the district,” Kumaraswamy said. “Heavy-intensity rain was witnessed in the district from August 13, and this caused many roads to cave in,” he added.

The chief minister said that while a final assessment of losses is yet to be done, it was evident that the state would require approximately ₹2,000-3,000 crore to rebuild the infrastructure alone. “The President and Prime Minister are already in touch with me, and I will meet them once I have a proper estimate of the damage suffered in the district,” he said.

Kumaraswamy cited availa- ble information to state that 845 houses had been completed destroyed, 743 partially wrecked, 143 km of roads washed away and 57 bridges damaged in the rain. “As many as 32 relief camps have been set up in Kodagu district, and around 6,000 people are living there,” he said. “The state government has decided to give ₹ 3,800 to every family housed in these camps, so they can buy basic necessities. This is exclusive of the 10 kg of rice, one kg of sugar, one litre of palm oil, one kg of tur dal and five litres of kerosene that we have provided to them.”