Karnataka floods: Over 1,600 km of highways damaged; focus shifts to rehabilitation as rain recedes
Kodagu, the worst affected region in the state, accounts for eight deaths while over 4,000 people in the district have taken shelter in 41 relief camps.
The district authorities in Karnataka’s Kodagu have started concentrating on rehabilitating families as rainfall has reduced significantly. The police are expected to use drones during the last stretch of the rescue operation in the area, where nine people are still missing, The News Minute reported.
As Kerala battles its worst floods in close to a century, Karnataka has reported 12 rain-related deaths. Kodagu, which borders Kerala and is the worst affected region in the state, accounts for eight deaths while more than 4,000 people in the district have taken shelter in 41 relief camps. A series of landslides has left hundreds of people homeless.
Many parts of Karnataka have been flooded because of incessant rain. Several districts of coastal and Malnad regions, including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkmagaluru, Kodagu and Hassan, have been battered by rain. District authorities have asked all tourist services to stop operations till August 31 as rescue operations are under way.
The state’s Public Works Department Minister HD Revanna has said that 110 km of national highways and 1,500 km of state highways have been damaged, resulting in a loss of Rs 487 crore. “Of this, the damage on state highways alone amounts to Rs 430 crore,” he added. “Roads in Kodagu, Mangaluru, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru have suffered the brunt of rains.”
State highways have been destroyed in northern parts of the state such as Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Dharwad and Chitradurga. The losses there amount to Rs 60.83 crore. “In the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur and Koppal also witnessed destruction of roads but on a much more minimal scale compared to the southern districts,” Revanna said. “Here, the losses are pegged at Rs 5.1 crore.”
Over 530 bridges have been destroyed across the state, resulting in a loss of Rs 78.98 crore, he added.
Lack of electricity and shortage of non-perishable essential items such as clothing and footwear continues to be a problem, according to volunteers.