Govt effectively responding to flood situation: K’taka CM

The Karnataka government was effectively responding to the havoc caused by heavy rains and floods successively battering the state,with relief and rescue work on in affected areas and was confident of revival of the economy, chief minister B S Yediyurappa said here on Saturday.

“Several districts of north Karnataka have been affected by floods and I assure the people there that the government is with them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to me last night and took stock of the situation. He has assured all necessary assistance from the centre,” the chief minister said.

Speaking at the inaugural of the 10 day long Dasara festivities in the palace city of Mysuru, Yediyurappa said he has reviewed the situation with Deputy Commissioners of flood hit districts and Revenue Minister R Ashoka was personally touring the regions.

Orders have been issued to provide compensation within a week to the next of kin of thosekilled and to those who had lost livestock and property, he said.

Officials have been directed to ensure that there are no complaints over compensation,he said,adding that input subsidy of ₹36.57 crore has been directly deposited to the bank accounts of 51,810 farmers, whose crops have been damaged.

In the wake of the flood situation emerging for the third time within a span of three months, the government on Friday said it has released ₹85.5 crore for immediate relief and rescue equipment has been supplied to the affected districts. Yediyurappa cited a government report which said Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgir, Ballari, Raichur, Bagalkote, Davangere, Koppal, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Udupi, Vijayapura and Belgaum districts are the worst hit due to rains between October 10-15, caused by the upper air depression over the Bay of Bengal.

He pointed out that natural calamities in August and September had resulted in an estimated loss of ₹9,952 crore, as per data surveys and crops in about 10.7 lakh hectares had been damaged.

Floods due to rains are still troubling the state, he said, adding that damage to basic infrastructure has been estimated at Rs 4,851 crore. “All the necessary measures are being taken. Government has been successful in responding to the natural disaster on time.

Two farmers allegedly died by suicide at separate places in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, the state police said. Their families said crop damage and pressure of replaying debt pushed them to suicide.

The body of one of the farmers was found in a highly decomposed state hanging from a tree on Friday.

He was reported missing on October 5.

A member of his family said the 35-year-old was overburdened with loans due to damage to his crops over the last two years.

“He sowed soybean seeds this year in his two-acre farm and but this year, too, the crop was damaged and he got the farmland levelled. Since then he was upset” police said.

The son of the second farmer, who was 50-year-old, said his father’s body was also found hanging from a tree.

“My father was shattered as there was no growth in the crop in our agricultural field,” he said.