Karnataka govt releases Rs. 300 crore to deal with Bengaluru rain damages

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said a decision has been made to release Rs 300 crore to deal with the current rain situation as well as the maintenance of basic infrastructure in Bengaluru.

The CM said seeing the flood-like situation in Bengaluru, Rs 9.50 crore has been released to establish a company of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) exclusively for Bengaluru and to provide the equipment.

This SDRF company will be restricted only to Bengaluru City. For the rest of state, two more companies will be established by involving the retired defense personnel.

Speaking to media after his Monday meeting with officials involved in handling the crisis, Bommai said a central team will arrive in Bengaluru on Tuesday night to study rains and flood situation in the state.

A memorandum will be submitted in regard to the existing damages caused by rains and floods. After visiting the flood-hit districts, the government will hold a meeting with the team members.

Bommai said he has visited T.K.Halli Pumphouse in Malavalli taluk of Mandya which supplies drinking water to city from Cauvery and it could take another two days to reset it post damage.

He said, meanwhile an alternative plan has been formulated for water supply to Bengaluru. Around 8,000 borewells are under the BWSSB control and they would be restarted to supply water during the disruption in Cauvery water supply to areas.

Bommai said the area of the city has expanded due to inclusion of 110 villages into the BBMP limits. Since infrastructure of those 110 villages are also added to Bengaluru limits, new problems have cropped up.

"We will remove encroachments of roads, canals, rajakaluves and install the gates for waterholes. Infrastructure will be improved. Since the state capital has received the record rains in the shortest period they need to take it as a challenge and face it unitedly," he added.

The CM said the water table has gone up in drought-hit districts, and all small irrigation tanks and command areas tanks are full. All tanks in Chikballapur, Kolar,Chitradurga,Chamarajanagar, Kalaburagi, Bidar and Koppal are full.

The state has received 144 per cent excess rain during the last week of August. In first five days of current month, the state has received 51 per cent excess rain.

The weather department has predicted heavy rains in south and north interior Karnataka for the next four days till Friday.

Bommai said some areas in Bengaluru City has received 150 per cent more rains than the normal rain between September 1 and 5. Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli and K.R.Puram have recorded 307 per cent excess rain. This was the highest rainfall in the last 42 years.

All the 164 tanks in Bengaluru are filled to the brim and the excess water along with rain, was flooding residential areas in south Bengaluru. (UNI)