K’taka seeks `1K cr relief from govt for flood relief

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has asked the Centre to release Rs 1,118.40 crore to take up relief works in rainbattered Kodagu district, Malnad region and coastal parts of the state.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today submitted a memorandum to Union Home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, estimating the loss at Rs 3,486 crore.

The memorandum said the relief claimed was based on preliminary assessment and comprehensive assessment was in process as many villages were inaccessible due to landslides.

In the memorandum, the K ar nat aka government said Kodagu and other Malnad and coastal districts received very heavy rainfall in the range of 700 mm to 1712 mm with the percentage departure from normal rangingfrom 100 to 722 during August 8 to 19.

The rain fury had claimed 65 lives and left a trail of devastation, particularly in Kodagu.

“The entire fertile top soil has been washed away which is likely to adversely affect the local ecology.

Coffee estates have been reduced to a pile of mud due to massive landslides,” the memorandum said.

While coffee estates suffered a loss of Rs 1,000 crore, national highways (NH-275, NH-75 and NH-234), state highway sand major district roads, village roads and forest roads were badly damaged due to rain induced landslides and incessant rainfall, the memorandum said.

“65 human losses were reported due to floods, landslides, house collapse and lightning and thunderstorm since April in Malnad and Coastal districts,” the memorandum released here said.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Kumaraswamy said the union home minister gave a patient hearing and said the centre would look into the demand sympathetically.