Flood claims 18 lives, causes extensive damages: Yeddyurappa

Bangalore, Aug 15 (UNI) The incessant rains and floods in rivers have claimed 18 lives and caused extensive damage to properties in the state, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said today.

Speaking to newspersons at the premises of Raj Bhavan where he was attending a Tea party hosted by Governor Rameshwar Thakur here, Mr Yeddyurappa said he had ordered the officials to carry out a detailed study of damages caused by the floods.

Stating that he would undertake a visit to flood-ravaged districts in a couple of days, the Chief Minister said the state government would submit a detailed report to the Centre on the extent of damage wrecked by floods.

Replying to questions, Mr Yeddyurappa said the district administration concerned monitored by the incharge ministers were instructed to take up relief works on a war-footing.

The state government has released Rs 40 crore for the purpose while Deputy Commissioners were already vested with over Rs 100 crore at their disposal to tackle the situation,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in Daxina Kannada and Udupi and other districts in the state was improving as most of the rivers, including Nethravathy, Kumaradhara, Sowparnika, Thunga, Bhadra, Malathi and Kumadwathi rivers, which were in spate for over a week were receding.

The ban imposed on traffic in Shirady ghat connecting Bangalore-Hassan and Mangalore continued as landslide due to incessant rains was yet to cleared. Train services between Bangalore-Mysore-Hassan and Mangalore has been closed for another two days.

In Shimoga district, as many as 219 houses were submerged in the rains and standing crops in more than one lakh acre of land was still under sheet of water.

The flood situation continued to be alarming in Northern Karnataka especially Bijapur, Bhagalkot, Gulbarga and Raichur districts where several villages were inundated due to heavy discharge of water from Maharashtra into Krishna river.

People in several villages have been evacuated and provided food at the temporary camps, official sources told UNI.

In Kodagu, the source of Cauvery river, incessant rains have caused damage to paddy fields and coffee plantations. With the abating of monsoon fury, the situation was fast improving.

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