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Dharam Singh to make aerial survey of flood-hit areas

Special Correspondent

Karnataka sought financial help from Centre

BANGALORE: The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, will make an aerial survey of rain and flood-ravaged Belgaum, Bagalkot and other north Karnataka districts on Tuesday to assess the damage to crops and property.

Mr. Singh told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that the Minister for Water Resources and Transport, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Revenue Minister, M.P. Prakash, and he would conduct the aerial survey and assess the damage in the flood-affected districts.

The Government has sought financial aid from the Centre to undertake relief works in villages, which were submerged because of the downpour. A Central team would visit the State in a couple of days to assess the rain damage, he said.

Making a suo motu statement, Mr. Prakash, said two defence helicopters had been pressed into service for undertaking rescue and relief works in the marooned villages in Belgaum and Bagalkot districts as the Krishna is in spate owing to the discharge from reservoirs in Maharashtra which is receiving heavy rains.

As many 2,000 families involving 10,000 people of 89 villages in Athani, Raibagh, Chikkodi and Hukkeri taluks of Belgaum district were affected by rain. The villages have been inundated by the flood waters following heavy discharge from Koyna reservoir.

Rs. 30 cr. crop loss

The crop loss has been estimated at Rs. 30 crores by officials of the Revenue Department. Rain had claimed 12 lives in the State so far, he said.

Six boats from Karwar had been pressed into service to rescue people in Belgaum and Bagalkot districts. The north Karnataka districts recorded the highest rain in the last 14 years and Belgaum district alone received 5,533.5 mm of rains in a week against the normal 1778 mm. Ten villages in Bagalkot district have been the worst affected. Many houses in the district have been inundated by the backwaters of the Narayanpur dam.

The deputy commissioners have been told to take up relief works in full swing in the flood-affected areas.

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