The Hindu : Front Page : Heavy rain has claimed 87 lives in State

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Thursday, Aug 04, 2005

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Heavy rain has claimed 87 lives in State

Special Correspondent

Dharam Singh to lead team to Prime Minister on Saturday

BANGALORE: Heavy rain in the State has so far claimed the lives of 87 people and 504 head of cattle.

According to a press release from the Chief Minister's office, the damage to public property, houses and crops in six districts has been estimated at Rs. 254.39 crores. As many as 135 villages have been affected by floods and 22,000 people evacuated.

Eighty-one villages in Belgaum district, 25 in Bagalkot, two in Bijapur, seven in Raichur, and 20 in Gulbarga district have been severely affected. The Government has released Rs. 2 crores each for Bagalkot, Bijapur and Gulbarga districts, Rs. 4 crores for Belgaum and Rs. 1 crore for Kodagu district, the release said.

Standing crops worth Rs. 48.10 crores on 64,000 hectares have been destroyed and 14,073 houses have suffered damage estimated at Rs. 5.29 crores.

The damage to public property has been put at Rs. 190 crores.

Flood damage

The Minister for Revenue, M.P. Prakash, told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that damage caused by the floods in the State has been put at Rs. 501 crores, as per preliminary reports reaching the 24-hour control room set up here.

Stating that the Government has released Rs. 22.50 crores from the Calamity Relief Fund, Mr. Prakash said it is insufficient and that the Government will make available more funds to all districts to deal with the situation.

The funds would be utilised to make available drinking water in districts that have not received adequate rainfall such as Kolar, Bangalore Rural and Tumkur.

Mr. Dharam Singh will lead a delegation to the Prime Minister on August 6 to apprise him of the havoc caused by the rain, the Water Resources Minister, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, announced in the Legislative Council on Wednesday.

A special meeting is being convened to take stock of the situation, and prepare a detailed report assessing the damage to life and property, Mr. Kharge said.

Mr. Kharge said Rs. 4 crores has already been released for relief work in Belgaum district.

Boats, vehicles, relief material, food and medicines and other emergency supplies are being taken to the districts with the help of non-governmental organisations, religious mutts and other institutions.

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