Kodagu floods: Prez, PM speak to CM Kumaraswamy

Madikeri: More than 3,500 people have been rescued till Sunday in Kodagu district of Karanataka, where six people have lost their lives in floods and landslides following heavy rains in the past several days.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke over phone to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is camping in the rain-battered district, over phone and enquired about the situation.

Modi assured to extend all required assistance to the state to face the situation, the Chief Minister’s office said.

‘Extended all possible support in the rescue and relief operations. I pray for the safety and well-being of those in the flood affected areas,’ the PM tweeted.

Kumaraswamy informed Kovind that the district administration was managing the rescue-and-relief work efficiently, along with the army, National Disaster Response Force and other agencies, and have rescued more than

3,500 people so far, the CMO said in a statement. As many as 317 people, including a two-month-old infant, were rescued and shifted to relief centres since Saturday and rescue operations were on in and around Makkandooru and other affected areas on Sunday, they said.

Food and basic amenities have been arranged at all the 31 relief shelters.

Nearly 1,000 personnel from the Armed Forces, National and State Disaster Response Forces, Civil Defence Teams, Fire and Emergency Personnel have been pressed into the rescue work since August 15.

Local youths and volunteers of various organisations are also assisting in the operations.

Kumaraswamy undertook aerial survey of affected areas for the second day on Sunday.

He also assessed the situation in a few other areas of the district by visiting them.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said the government was taking steps so that relief, especially food reached every one, even in the remotest places.

Describing the situation as a difficult time, he said the governments intention is to bring people out of fear and anxiety that they are going through, by rescuing them first.

Later speaking to people at a relief camp at Suntikoppa, Kumaraswamy said his government would take all steps for rehabilitation of the people of Kodagu.

He held a meeting with the district administration and senior officials and reviewed the rescue and relief work.

Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party unit president B S Yeddyurappa also visited Kodagu district and assured to get required assistance from the party-led central government.

BJP legislators from Bengaluru and partys Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (city civic body) corporators have pledged their two month salary to the Chief Ministers relief fund for the relief work.

Several good samaritans, organisations and Kodava communities from various parts of the state, especially from Bengaluru, are collecting relief materials like food, drinking water, medicines and other things to be dispatched to the flood-hit areas in the Kodagu district.

There were also reports about flooding and landslides in a few districts of coastal and Malnad region, especially in Chikkamagaluru district, affecting road connectivity.

Several districts of coastal and Malnad regions like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkmagaluru, Kodagu, parts of Hassan and Uttara Kannada, have been battered by incessant rains in the last few days.