Mysuru: Kodagu is slowly returning to normal after the devastating rain and landslides of the past two weeks with 213 more people from relief centres returning home and three more relief centres closed on Wednesday.
Presently, 2,256 people are still housed in 22 relief camps. A cattle camp has also been set up with 38 cattle housed there. Meanwhile, Kodagu recorded an average 31.58mm of rainfall in 24 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Three engineers from the Border Road Organisation are in the district and visited affected areas, along with senior officers of the PWD department to collect information on the restoration of infrastructure and roads. According to Kodagu DC Ms P.I. Srividya, 2,108kms of roads have been damaged. Also a four-member team comprising of geological experts from the Geological Survey of India and KSNDMC started geotechnical studies on Wednesday.
Revenue Minister Mr R.V. Deshpande visited Kodagu and took stock of relief and rehabilitation work. He said a delegation of ministers led by CM Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy will meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday and submit an interim memorandum seeking more than Rs 2000 crores relief for Kodagu. Many victims have permission to possess guns and they will be provided with the permission again, he said. Agriculture minister Mr N.H. Shivshankar Reddy continued his tour of Kodagu for the second day and visited relief centres and affected areas including Heggadehalli, Koodige, Guddehosuru, Kambibaane, Kiggodlu, Hattihole, Makkandur and Kaandanakolli. He said, “an estimated 11,000 hectare of plantations have been damaged, including 8000 hectares of pepper, 1,500 hectares of arecanut and 600 hectares of ginger. Once the officers complete the assessment, relief measures will be taken up.” Meanwhile BEO Ms Gayathri said, “textbooks, stationery, drawing books, crayons and other educational materials are being given to 405 students of Class 1 to Class 10 at relief centres. We have started study centres at the relief centres. Measures are being taken to send kids at relief centres to nearby schools.”
Kodagu district minister Mr Sa Ra Mahesh held a meeting with officers and elected representatives and said he was releasing Rs 25 crores from the tourism department. At the meeting ADC Mr Jagadish said that the district administration had identified 7 acres near Garagandur, 4.80 acres near K Nidugade, 3.70 acres near Biligeri, and some land which comes under Madapura Horticulure department for building temporary sheds for the victims of floods and landslides.
MLA K.G. Bopaiah said “many victims at relief centres, owned houses worth Rs 30 to 40 lakhs. Will they be willing to live in sheds? They should be given atleast ten cents of land each near their respective villages.” Minister Sa Ra Mahesh said that it would be appropriate to identify land to rehabilitate victims in their respective gram panchayats.
