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Toll 12, 5,000 houses damaged as heavy rain batters Karnataka

BENGALURU: With heavy rain continuing to ravage many parts of Karnataka for the third consecutive day on Tuesday, seven more persons died, taking the toll to 12.


The situation may be grim for the next two days as the meteorological department has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in south and north-interior parts of Karnataka.



Historical sites Hampi and Pattadakal were inundated due to heavy discharge from Tungabhadra dam in Hospet and Malaprabha dam in Savadatti of Belagavi district. Foreign tourists were seen wading in knee-deep water in Pattadakal.

The Karnataka government has deployed four units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in flood-affected Belagavi, Gadag and Koppal districts for rescue operations. Fire department personnel have been deployed and 12 relief centres have been opened in which around 2,000 people are taking shelter.

Besides throwing lives of thousands of people out of gear, the untimely rain has damaged houses, roads and bridges and standing crops on lakhs of acres. "Over 5,400 houses have been damaged in the past two days," said revenue minister R Ashoka, who held a video conference with deputy commissioners of flood-affected districts. The minister is visiting Belagavi, Raichur, Koppal and Bagalkot from Wednesday.

Shekhavva Timmannavar, 75, died after the roof of her house collapsed in Khannur village in Navalgund taluk. Nanjaiah of Murukanahalli village in KR Pet, Mandya district, died in a house collapse on Monday night. He was visiting his relatives in Ganjigere village.

6-year-old boy dies, farmer washed away

In Hasagal village, Koppal, sixyear-old Jagadish died after he slipped and fell into a lake when he was washing his face. Farmer Ramappa Mallappa Honnannavar, 52, was washed away in a stream and his body was traced at Shirabadagi village of Badami taluk. The government announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to families of the deceased.

All rivers in Krishna and Cauvery basin are overflowing, forcing authorities to increase discharge from reservoirs. The outflow from Almatti Dam increased to 1.8 lakh cusecs and from Narayanapura Dam to 2.4 lakh cusecs, commensurate with the increase in discharge of water from Maharashtra reservoirs. The outflow from Tungabhadra Dam touched 1.5 lakh cusecs, forcing authorities to sound an alert for villagers on the banks of the river.

In Gadag district, hundreds of flood-affected people have taken shelter at Hole Alur railway station following the overflowing Malaprabha river. Two bikers were rescued by villagers at Doddur village in Laxmeshwar taluk. Ignoring the warning of villagers, they chose to cross the stream which was in spate. When they slipped and fell into the water, villagers rescued them using ropes.

All ministers in the BS Yediyurapa cabinet will tour flood-affected districts from Wednesday. “We’ll reassemble in 2-3 days with ground reports. We’ll soon initiate further action for relief and rehabilitation,” law and parliamentary affairs minister JC Madhuswamy said.

He added the government will provide the same relief to victims over the past three days as was provided to those two months ago.

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