Karnataka: Initial government appraisal points to massive flood damage

TNN
August 9, 2019

Bengaluru, Aug 9: Floods and heavy rain in several parts of Karnataka over the past four days have damaged 1.5 lakh hectares of crops, according to a preliminary assessment by the government.

The monsoon fury has also damaged around 1,400km of roads, 211 bridges and more than 2,500 electricity poles and transformers, officials from the state revenue department said.

Belagavi sustained the most damage (70%) to crops and infrastructure among the flood-hit north Karnataka districts, which also include Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Raichur and Yadgir, the officials said.

“A final assessment can be made only after floodwaters recede,” said Lalitha Handigod, revenue deputy secretary, disaster management. “What we now have is only a preliminary assessment. We are focused on rescue operations.” The agriculture department presented a grimmer picture, saying close to 2 lakh hectares of standing crops are under water. “If the water recedes in a day or two, some of the crops may not be affected,” agriculture director BY Srinivas said. “We’ll soon have a more accurate estimate.”

According to the agriculture department officials, flooding has severely affected crops in eleven districts including Shivamogga, Hassan, Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Gadag, and Kalaburagi. Apart from standing crops like sugarcane and paddy in Belagavi, Vijayapura and other districts, rain has also damaged short-duration crops such as vegetables and horticulture crops like areca and coconut.

Sowing has been completed on 22.6 hectares of a cumulative target area of 31.2 hectares in these districts. “People were worried about drought till last month,” said Chamarasa Malipatil, honorary president, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha.

In the Malnad region, Heavy rainfall and landslips have taken a toll on cash crops such as areca nut and coffee. “Short-duration crops and horticulture crops account for about 40% of the total crop loss,” an official said. After a delayed monsoon, farmers had just picked up pace with sowing when floods hit after heavy rainfall in the Malnad region and from overflowing rivers in the northern districts.

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News Network
February 12,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 12: Mohammed Nalapad, the rogue son of Karnataka Congress leader NA Harris, who is out on bail in a 2018 case of him bashing up a man at a pub, has now rammed his luxury car into vehicles, injuring four people on Bengaluru road.

The incident took place on Sunday on the Ballari Road where Nalapad was rash driving his car. The car hit a biker and an autorickshaw, injuring four people. He immediately got off his car and fled riding a friend's car.

The biker has suffered a fracture in his leg and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

According to police, soon after the accident a man appeared before police to claim responsibility for the accident.

Ravikante Gowde, Joint Commissioner of Police said, "A man named Balakrishna came to surrender as the one who was driving the car. Investigation has, however, showed that it was Nalapad who was driving when he met with the accident. The investigating officer has issued him a notice to appear before the police."

BJP spokesperson S Prakash has said, "A case under the Goonda Act should be filed against Nalapad and the court should take cognisance of this and cancel his bail. The father has no control over son. He is a serial offender who is harming the public on a repeated basis."

Nalapad was earlier arrested in 2018 in the Bengaluru pub incident in which he and his associate bashed up the son of a prominent businessman in the city. Nalapad Harris is out on bail after remaining in judicial custody for three months in the case of attempt to murder after the 2018 midnight brawl.

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News Network
February 24,2020

Shivamogga, Feb 24: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday said that he has been invited at the banquet hosted for US President Donald Trump at Rashtrapathi Bhavan on Tuesday, but, he is yet to decide on his presence.

“I have been invited, but I have various engagements and work, let’s see. I have not yet decided on what to do. It is true that I got the invitation,” he told reporters here.

"President of a powerful and rich country like United States of America visiting India is not a normal thing. He (Trump) has said that he personally shares good relationship with Prime Minister Modi and has confidence in him…let’s wait and see", Mr Yediyurappa said in reply to a question.

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News Network
February 21,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 21: The Supreme Court in its interim order on Thursday allowed the plea of the Karnataka government for implementation of the final award by a tribunal for sharing of water between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra from the Mahadayi river.

The interim order was passed by a bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta after hearing the counsel from the three states. The bench said the final hearing in the matter will take place in July.

It also said the interim order is subject to the final outcome of the petitions filed by the three states against the tribunal's award.

The Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal had passed the order on August 14, 2018, allocating 13.42 TMC ( Thousand Million Cubic Feet.) water (including 3.9 TMC for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka.

Maharashtra was allotted 1.33 TMC water while Goa was given 24 TMC in the final decision of the tribunal. The UPA-2 government had constituted Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2010.

Karnataka government, which has locked horns with the neighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states, had petitioned the tribunal seeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The Kalasa-Banduri Nala (diversion) project, which will utilise 7.56 tmcft of water from the inter-state Mahadayi river, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, the tributaries of the Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 tmc water to the Malaprabha river which fulfils the drinking water needs of the twin cities.

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