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Showers claim 8 lives in 24 hours; Kodagu, DK almost cut off; Rs 200cr announced

coastaldigest.com web desk
August 17, 2018

Bengaluru/Mangaluru, Aug 17: At least eight people lost their lives in many others suffered injuries in rain related tragedies across Karnataka in 24 hours till Thursday night.

Four people were killed, while four others were injured in separate house wall collapse incidents in Kalaburagi, Bidar and Shivamogga districts.

A woman and her two daughters were killed on the spot after the wall of their neighbour’s house came crashing down on the room where they were asleep on Wednesday night at Hithal Sirur village, Aland taluk, Kalaburagi district. The victims are Lakshmi Bhai P Odeyar (30), Ambika (10) and Yellamma (8), both class 3 and 2 students of the local government school.

Masood (5), a resident of Konanduru, Thirthahalli taluk, was killed after the wall of his house collapsed on him on Thursday morning. He was having coffee when the incident occurred.

The district administration has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the victim’s family. At Muthangi village, Humnabad taluk, Bidar district, three members of a family were seriously injured after roof of their house fell on them on Thursday.

The body of Halesh Adiveppa Karigar, who was washed in flash flood in Tungabahdra river at Kavalettu village near Kumarapattana in Harihar taluk, was traced on Thursday.

At least three people were buried under soil when a hillock collapsed at Katakeri near Madikeri. Two of the deceased have been identified as Yeshwanth, 35, and Venkataramana, 45.

Several houses collapsed in a few localities of Madikeri city, following heavy rains on Thursday.

Gruel centres have been opened at Kodava Samaja and Gowda Samaja for those affected by floods in Cauvery and Harangi rivers in Kushalnagar and surrounding villages.

Several houses have collapsed due to heavy winds and showers in Somwarpet taluk of the district. People in many villages are abandoning their homes due to the fear of landslides.

Deluge in Kodagu

As many as 85,000 cusecs of water was released from the Harangi reservoir due to heavy inflow following copious showers in the catchment areas of the dam.

The Madikeri-Hassan state highway has been completely submerged following the release of water. Traffic has been prohibited on the bridge across River Harangi at Kudige in Kushalnagar taluk of Kodagu district, as cracks were identified there.

Amrita Coffee Curing Works has reported huge losses as water entered its premises at Kudluru. The Morarji Desai English medium school at Kudige has been flooded and students have been shifted to a safer place. The Cauvery Nisargadhama has been closed for visitors.

The residential area near the Harangi reservoir populated by workers who had come from Tamil Nadu during the construction of the dam has been flooded, rendering hundreds of them homeless. Their huts have been washed away.

Several houses have been flooded at Gonikoppal in the district following a flood in the Keerihole stream. The Gonikoppal-Ponnampet road faces the threat of being submerged.

Several acres of paddy fields were destroyed by the overflowing Kajur stream in Shanivarasanthe and nearby villages. Coffee estates have also been waterlogged in the area. Hoilday has been declared for schools and colleges in the district on Friday and Saturday.

Roads have gone under water, putting residents at the mercy of coracles to reach their destinations. Hundreds of paddy fields have been flooded in these villages.

The bridge connecting Virajpet and Madikeri at Bhetri has been flooded and vehicular movement has been banned on the bridge. Affected families were shifted to gruel centres at Hemmadu village.

Dakshina Kannada disconnected

Meanwhile, incessant rains and landslides have almost cut-off Dakshina Kannada district from the rest of the State with road and rail connectivity remaining affected.

The Shiradi (towards Hassan) and Sampaje (towards Madikeri) ghats have been closed following landslips. Hence, Charmadi Ghat (towards Mudigere) is the only available entry and exit. However, frequent traffic jams are being witnessed there.

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has suspended operations of its premium services (Rajahamsa and Airavat) between the coastal areas and hinterland and is operating only express (Karnataka Sarige) services through Charmadi Ghat.

Private tourist bus service operators have routed their sleeper services via Charmadi and air-conditioned services via Balebare/ Hulikal Ghats.

While rail connectivity between the hinterland and the coastal areas continues to remain affected at least till Friday, services towards Kerala and Chennai too came to be suspended on Thursday.

A senior official of the Southern Railway in the Mangaluru region said that trains were being sent till Kuttipuram in Kerala while operations between Shoranur and Palakkad have been suspended till Friday evening. Services on the Kozhikode-Shoranur section have been suspended till further orders, the official said.

Though South Western Railway has announced diverting train services between Bengaluru and the coastal region via Salem and Palakkad till August 22, services may operate only if sections in Kerala become operational. The section between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road is witnessing frequent landslips.

Rs 200 crore for rain-hit districts

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, after reviewing the situation in rain-affected districts of Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Hassan, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Uttara Kannada, announced that Rs. 200 crore would be released for relief measures.

Deputy Commissioners of these districts had been directed to submit a report on losses incurred, within two days. Based on their reports, a memorandum would be submitted to the Union government seeking aid. As many as 29 relief camps are providing shelter to 1,755 people.

Comments

Farooq
 - 
Friday, 17 Aug 2018

From our side we should help. contribute and do services with your own expertise

Ramprasad
 - 
Friday, 17 Aug 2018

Take necessory steps now onwards. Set Kerala as an example

Danish
 - 
Friday, 17 Aug 2018

Govt should provide helpline numbers immediately

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News Network
April 28,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 28: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday suggested that the government can allow sale of liquor in green zones. 

“Merely because there is an economic slowdown in the state, I don’t recommend that alcohol should be allowed to be sold. But, wherever there are green districts, they can open (liquor sale) with certain restrictions, I think,” Siddaramaiah, the leader of the Opposition, told reporters. 

There are 14 districts in the state that are categorised as green because they do not have any active COVID-19 cases. The green districts are: Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Haveri, Davangere, Shivamogga, Chitradurga, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Hassan, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Ramanagara and Kolar.

There is tremendous pressure on the B S Yediyurappa administration to revive the economy as the lockdown has dried up all revenue sources. Excise, alone, accounts for 18 per cent of Karnataka’s own tax revenue. 

The Excise department recently suggested allowing regulated sale of liquor through the state-run MSIL outlets. The government, however, did not approve it fearing crowding and backlash from the Centre.

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News Network
June 3,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 3: Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Tuesday invited investors in the Electronics System and Design Manufacturing (ESDM) sector to Karnataka, as the state contributes 64 per cent to the sector's total exports from the nation.

During a video conference organised by Invest India for a few select states with leading ESDM players across the globe, Narayan said, "We are the largest chip design hub and home to 70 per cent of India's chip designers."

Karnataka has introduced industry-friendly policies from the beginning and it continues to be the leader in attracting technology-specific investments, he added.

"Karnataka has an estimated GSDP of almost USD 220 billion. We were the first to come out with IT, BT, ESDM, and AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) policies to give a push to the growth of the technology sectors and innovation. We also have vibrant automobiles, agro, aerospace, textile and garment, and heavy engineering industries," Narayan explained.

"We have created sector-specific SEZs for key industries such as IT, biotechnology and engineering, food processing and aerospace,'' he said.

However, the state government is planning ahead as it has initiated talks with other countries.

"We have held multiple consultations with the private sector to seek inputs for returning to business as we ease the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. We are also initiating dialogue with countries across the globe to understand future plans for their companies in the post COVID era and discuss how the Karnataka government can support that," the Deputy Chief Minister stated.

"Karnataka has attracted cumulative FDI inflows in the state from 2000 to 2019 which were recorded at USD 42.3 billion," he said.

Referring to the Karnataka ESDM policy 2017-2022, Narayan further said, "We aim to stimulate the growth of 2,000 ESDM start-ups during the policy period and create 20 lakh new jobs by 2025.

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News Network
August 4,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 4: Police barricades, yellow banners, walls with a fresh coat of paint and the sounds of bhajan mark parts of Ayodhya as the city awaits its big day Wednesday, when the first brick will be laid for the Ram temple.

Ayodhya is decked up for the bhoomi pujan that will be attended at the Ram Janmabhoomi by 175 people, who figure in a select guest list of seers and politicians topped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Concerned over the spread of coronavirus, the authorities are encouraging others not to come to the temple town, asking them to mark the occasion by celebrating at their homes. The groundbreaking ceremony will be telecast live.

Roads leading to Ayodhya display hoardings with the picture of the proposed Ram temple and of Ram Lalla, the infant Ram, the deity now housed in a makeshift temple.

Around the town’s Hanumangarhi area – named after a well-known temple which Modi will visit on Wednesday – both police sirens and ‘bhajans’ in praise of Ram are heard.

Most of the shops in the locality wear a new look, with their fronts painted in bright yellow. A large number of policemen were deployed there on Tuesday. Some sat in the sweet shops, waiting for their next instructions.

Roads leading into the area are barricaded. Yards of yellow cloth and marigold garlands were being hung on poles.

Even on the day before the event, security checks on vehicles heading to Ayodhya begin from adjoining Barabanki district itself on the Lucknow-Ayodhya road. Policemen take down details, including mobile numbers of the travellers.

Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said the focus of the force is on maintaining the Covid-19 protocol.

“So we are not going to allow any outsider to enter Ayodhya city,” he said. Prohibitory orders are also in force and not more than four people will be allowed to gather.

“The markets and shops will remain open but with strict adherence to the Covid protocol,” he said. Outsiders will be stopped from entering the city, but Ayodhya residents will be allowed in if they produce any identification document.

“We are also carrying out random checks on people living in Ayodhya to ensure that no outsiders are staying here,” he said.

The city’s temples and mosques will remain open, but no other religious event – except for the bhoomi pujan – will take place on Wednesday.

Pickets have been set up at sensitive points in the city.

Sub-inspector Ram Chandra Yadav and constables Avnish Kumar and Ankit Chaudhary man the Terhi Bazar Chauraha picket near the Ram Janmabhoomi site.

"We are here for the past some days, and were on duty on the Rakshabandhan day. Duty comes first and only after that come other things in life, like festivals," Yadav said.

Mayank Gupta, who runs a restaurant, was handing out food packets to policemen, his customers.

"For the last two months, I have been providing tiffin to them twice a day. There are around 100 policemen to whom I supply tiffin," Gupta said.

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