Yatnal Urges PM Modi To Send Central Aid to Flood-Hit North Karnataka

Vijayapura: Bijapur City MLA and former Union Minister Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately intervene and extend central assistance to flood-affected districts of North Karnataka, where widespread devastation has left thousands of families homeless and farmlands submerged.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Yatnal said the Bhima River floods have destroyed crops over 10 lakh hectares, causing immense hardship to farmers who lost their standing crops and livelihoods. He said that the heavy discharge of water from reservoirs in Maharashtra had inundated vast stretches of land in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Vijayapura, and Bidar, with the swelling Bhima and Manjra rivers worsening the situation.

According to initial reports, over 10,500 people from 117 villages have been displaced and shifted to relief camps. More than 547 houses have been completely damaged, while several others remain partially submerged. Vehicular movement on National Highway 50 has been severely disrupted as bridges near Kattisangavi and Khani villages remain under water, affecting connectivity and delaying relief efforts.

Yatnal acknowledged the efforts of NDRF and SDRF teams but said the scale of destruction requires urgent and coordinated central intervention. He accused the State Government of mishandling the crisis, claiming it was “more engaged in political matters than in providing timely relief.”

He urged the Centre to depute a special team to assess the flood situation and release immediate funds from the NDRF to assist affected families and restore damaged infrastructure.

“The people of North Karnataka are enduring immense hardship and look to the Central Government for timely relief and rehabilitation. Your personal intervention will bring much-needed respite and help restore normalcy,” Yatnal said.