The Hindu : Karnataka News : Flash-flood inflicts severe damage on Uttara Kannada

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Flash-flood inflicts severe damage on Uttara Kannada

By Our Correspondent

KARWAR, DEC. 27. Property worth Rs. 73.91 lakhs was damaged in Uttara Kannada district owing to a flash-flood caused by the quake-induced tsunami on Sunday, according to a press note issued by the Deputy Commissioner on Monday.

As many as 138 fishing boats suffered damage of a total of Rs. 60.79 lakhs.

Three buildings, including a house, collapsed at Bhatkal, and nine houses were damaged in Karwar. Crops in 72 acres of land, including six acres in Ankola and 12 acres in Bhatkal, were affected.

Compensation hiked

Our Udupi Staff Correspondent reports:

The Union Minister of State for Programme Implementation and Statistics, Oscar Fernandes, said on Monday that the State Government has passed an order for assessment of damage to boats in the coastal districts.

Addressing presspersons after inspecting the damage caused by the high waves at Padukere in Udupi district, Mr. Fernandes said the State Cabinet has decided to increase the compensation to the families of those who died in Sunday's incident to Rs. 1 lakh from Rs. 50,000. The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, who visited the affected areas at Surathkal in Dakshina Kannada district today, will tour Uttar Kannada district on Tuesday. Although Mr. Dharam Singh wanted to visit Udupi district, he could not do so as he had to return to Bangalore before evening, he added.

There was an increase in the sea level on Sunday due to the tsunami which lashed Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other coastal regions. It is believed that there will be no secondary effects of the waves triggered by seismic activities.

Mr. Fernandes said the officials of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts handled the crisis well.

The local people cooperated. The demand of the people of Padukere to construct a bridge from Padukere to Malpe will be considered, Mr. Fernandes said.

The former MLA Vasanth Salian was present.

No loss of life

The Deputy Commissioner, T. Sham Bhatt, said in Udupi that the losses caused by the tidal waves in the Arabian Sea on Sunday night has been estimated at Rs. 5 lakhs. There was no loss of life, he said.

He told presspersons that nearly 5,000 people were evacuated from Mattu Padukere and Malpe Padukere on Sunday night and shifted to the Yellur Mogaveera Sabha Bhavan and Fisheries Junior College at Malpe, the zilla panchayat Higher Primary School at Kodavoor, the Ramakrishna Bhajana Mandali and the premises of Nidamboor Yuvaka Mandali. As a precautionary measure, nearly 2,000 people were shifted from Tarapati near Uppunda in Kundpur taluk to a wedding hall on National Highway 17, he said. Most of them returned home on Monday morning, he added.

Eight boats were damaged in Udupi district. Five boats collided with one another at the wharf at Kodibengre and were damaged. The damage has been estimated at Rs. 1.9 lakhs. One boat was destroyed and two boats were damaged at Shiroor and Byndoor in Kundapur taluk. The damage has been estimated at Rs. 1.6 lakhs.

Seawater entered Bijjady near Gangolli and damaged crops worth Rs. 1.5 lakhs, Mr. Bhatt said.

Damage to boats

Our Mangalore Staff Correspondent reports:

Ten mechanised boats were damaged at Ullal and Bengre on Sunday when the sea level increased owing to the impact of the tsunami, the Deputy Commissioner, Arvind Shrivastava, said in Mangalore on Monday.

In an informal chat with reporters at Bajpe Airport, he said the damage to boats has been estimated at Rs. 6 lakhs. In Ullal, six mini boats suffered a damage of Rs. 1.6 lakh and a large boat that of Rs. 2 lakh. Three boats were damaged at Bengre, he added.

Mr. Shrivastava said the district administration will issue a notification directing fishermen here not to venture into the sea for a few more days.

Cruises suspended

He said the district administration has suspended till December 31 the cruises organised as part of the Karavali Utsav. The cruises, which began on December 20, will be resumed after studying the condition of the sea, he added.

Mr. Shrivastava said that the authorities at the New Mangalore Port stopped operations for three hours last night because of variations in the sea level. But there was no damage to ships.

Mr. Shrivastava and the Superintendent of Police, Soumendu Mukherjee, accompanied Mr. Dharam Singh; Mr. Oscar Fernandes; the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah; and the Revenue Minister, M. P. Prakash to Mukka beach where two girls drowned on Sunday.

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