Karnataka - Bijapur   

Rain costs Bijapur district more than Rs. 26 crore

Staff Correspondent

Havoc: A damaged stretch of NH 218 at Honaganahalli, 20 km from Bijapur.

BIJAPUR: The district administration has put the initial estimate of property loss caused by rain at Rs. 26.96 crore.

Most of the devastation was caused by the Don, a tributary of the Krishna. The river that flowed above danger mark for few hours on Saturday claimed 8 human lives besides killing a number of head of cattle. A few people have been reported missing.

According to primary reports, as many as 1,478 head of cattle were washed away in the overflowing Don and “nalas” in the district.

The number of houses that have collapsed is 795 and that of ones partially damaged 5,468. Even floods in the Krishna and the Bhima in 2005, which were considered the severest of the century, had not damaged such a large number of houses although nearly 100 villages had got inundated.

The two rivers had then overflowed because of heavy rainfall in Maharashtra but the Don, which passes through Bijapur and Gulburga districts, was in spate due to rainfall that was localised. The district received an average rainfall of 175 mm on June 23 which is the highest single-day reading recorded in the past 80 years. It works out to a little over 30 per cent of the 576 mm that is the average rainfall in the district in a year. As many as 84 tank embankments and check-dam bunds have been either washed away or have developed cracks. The damage has been estimated to be Rs. 2.74 crore.

As many as 147 bridges and cross-drainage structures have been damaged, and Rs. 3.55 crore will be needed to restore them.

Over 100 roads, including highways, have been badly damaged to an extent of 295.7 km. The initial estimate of the loss of roads is Rs. 15.31 crore. The damage suffered by the piped water scheme is Rs. 2.04 crore.

There are complaints that clothes, beddings and essential commodities are not being supplied at the relief camps. Also, the outbreak of some epidemic is feared.

Even six days after the rain fury, power supply to many villages including Kotyal, Dashyal and Kanmuchnal remains cut. This has affected water supply schemes and functioning of flour mills.

According to Deputy Commissioner V.B. Patil, relief measures have been initiated to provide relief.

A sum of Rs. 50 lakh each had been released to tahsildars of all the five taluks for immediate relief.

An ex-gratia of Rs. 50,000 had been released for each of the families of the flood victims.

Teams comprising officials of various departments had been constituted to prepare reports on loss of crops and property, he added.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Rain costs Bijapur district more than Rs. 26 crore
Amendment to Act opposed
Farmer commits suicide

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu