Anurag Kumar
The state government announced on Wednesday that as many as 38 people perished and 35 were injured in rain-related incidents such as waterlogging, lightning strikes, house collapse, tree fall and landslides since June 1.
According to the state government, 57 houses were wholly damaged, 208 houses were severely damaged, and 2,682 houses were partially damaged.
Meanwhile, rain caused the death of 105 cattle. As of Wednesday, 541.39 hectares of crops were flooded, including 185 hectares of agriculture crops and 356 hectares of horticulture crops.
In addition, 2109 kilometres of roads were damaged, including 407 kilometres of state highways and 1277 kilometres of district and rural roads. The state government reported that 189 bridges, 889 school rooms, 8 primary centres, and 269 Anganwadi centres were damaged.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah interacted via video with district collectors and chief executive officers of Zilla panchayat on Wednesday to discuss the state’s weather, precipitation, and agricultural activities.
Siddaramaiah urged the district administration to take additional precautions to prevent fatalities and property damage caused by precipitation.
“Many producers cannot be relocated during floods. Take action to relocate as soon as a flood warning is issued. Siddaramaiah stated that more emphasis should be placed on precautionary measures in light of widespread complaints from the populace that the alternative housing constructed by the previous administration is unfit for human habitation.
The chief minister ordered the district administration to prohibit people from approaching water bodies if the water level rises. People should be warned about this, he said, and efforts should be made to raise awareness to prevent loss of life.
Indicating that the prospect of landslides is known in advance, Siddaramaiah stated, “To a certain extent, the authorities are aware of potential landslide locations in advance. If there is coordination between the police, revenue, irrigation, and rural development departments, lives can be saved.”
The chief minister commanded the relevant authorities to conduct daily press conferences regarding the possibility of precipitation. “People should be cautioned against traversing slick areas and rushing rivers. “More should be done to prevent deaths,” he continued.
In June, cyclone Biparjoy caused a 56% rainfall deficit in Karnataka, according to the state government. However, 313 mm of precipitation fell in July, 37% more than average.
According to the state administration, since June 1, four districts have received heavy rainfall, 21 districts have received normal rainfall, and six districts have received insufficient rainfall.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the coastal Karnataka region until Thursday morning, predicting torrential rainfall. In addition, the MeT department issued an orange alert for exceedingly heavy precipitation and a yellow alert for heavy precipitation for three districts: Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada.
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Isolated locations are likely to experience gusty winds of 40-50 mph on July 26-27, and gusty winds of 30-40 mph on July 28-30, according to the IMD. “Over Karnataka Coast from July 26-27 and over North Karnataka Coast on July 28, blustery conditions with wind speeds of 40-45 kph with gusts up to 55 kph are anticipated. “Fishermen are advised not to enter the water,” the statement continued.
Until Thursday morning, the MeT department has issued an orange alert for Belagavi, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu and a yellow alert for Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Hassan, and Shivamogga.
