Bengaluru, May 30 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stated on Friday that for the first time in the last 125 years, Karnataka has recorded the highest rainfall in the month of May this year. Twenty eight districts in the state have received rainfall above the normal average, he stated.

CM Siddaramaiah said this while speaking at the Deputy Commissioners and Zilla Panchayat CEO’s meeting held at the Vidhana Soudha.

He said: “There is no shortage of funds for providing relief for rain-related damage Under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), more than Rs 1,000 crore is available across various districts.

“Guidelines have already been issued for providing relief in case of damage to houses due to heavy rains. Relief must be provided immediately. To prevent casualties in cases such as landslides, precautionary measures must be taken, including the evacuation of residents from vulnerable areas."

Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) must compulsorily and promptly visit rain-affected areas and ensure necessary relief is provided, CM said.

In cases of complete house damage, immediate relief of Rs 1.20 lakh is being provided. As done last year, district administrations must take steps to provide new housing for such victims. Support must also be extended for house construction under various government schemes, he stated.

To effectively respond to disasters caused by excessive rainfall, task forces comprising officials from various departments have been formed at the gram panchayat level. These task forces must work in coordination to implement precautionary measures, he said.

"In Bengaluru city, there is no reason why precautionary measures cannot be taken regarding rainfall. Information about low-lying areas and water-logging zones is already available. Officials must act more proactively. In addition to temporary measures, permanent solutions should also be implemented," the Chief Minister said.

Sources stated that the authorities have submitted to him in the meeting that 67 persons have been killed following excessive pre-monsoon showers across the state and 19.32 lakh people are at facing risks due to floods and landslides due to incessant rains.

The authorities further stated before that 2,252 villages are facing the brunt of landslides and floods and 1,702 houses have suffered damages. The authorities submitted that until May 29, the state has received 270 mm of rainfall against expected 108 mm rainfall, sources said.

Due to the incessant rains, the coastal Karnataka region is witnessing water logging, landslides and flooding. On Friday, including two kids and a girl, a total of five persons were killed in rain related incidents in Mangaluru district.

--IANS

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