Bengaluru, 26 Oct

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said 25 rain-related deaths were reported during monsoon this year and compensation was given to them. The downpour also left many houses damaged and compensation was paid to the house owners accordingly, the CM said.

Crops on 1.06 lakh hectares of land was lost in the state due to rains, he added. “A total of 25 deaths occurred due to heavy rains during monsoon and compensations were paid to the family members,” Siddaramaiah told reporters after a review meeting with the officials and his cabinet colleagues.

According to the CM, 84 houses were completely damaged and 2,077 partially damaged. A compensation of Rs 1.20 lakh for the entire house has been announced. For the partially damaged houses, Rs 50,000 would be paid.

Regarding crop loss, the CM said a preliminary report has been obtained on the basis of spot inspection. “A total of 74,993 hectares of agricultural crop damage and 30,941 hectares of horticultural crops were estimated to be damaged due to heavy rainfall. Crop damage is estimated in a total area of 1,05,937 hectares,” he explained.

From October 1 to 25, the state received an average of 181 mm of rain, which usually remains at 114 mm. There was 58 per cent excess rainfall in the state.

During the monsoon period June 1 to September 30, the usual rainfall registered in the state is 852 mm, but this time 978 mm of rain has been recorded. There was 15 per cent extra rain during the monsoon period as well, he noted.

The total storage capacity of major reservoirs in the state is 895.62 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet and the current water storage is 871.26 TMC. It was 505.81 TMC during the same period last year.

The survey on crop damage is underway and it will be completed in three to four days. The deputy commissioners in the districts have been instructed to complete the joint survey work within a week and submit the report.

Siddaramaiah underlined that there is no dearth of funds in the state for relief and rehabilitation work. The Deputy Commissioners have Rs 551.25 crore and Tahsildars have Rs 115 crore.

On Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said despite heavy rains, most of the lakes around the state capital are only 30 per cent full. Taking a strong view of it a deadline had already been set to the Deputy Commissioner to clear encroachment of lake and stormwater drains.

“Bengaluru received 275 mm of rain in October this year, which is the third highest rainfall. In 2005, there was 407 mm of rain during this period,” he noted. He said the World Bank has agreed to provide an assistance of Rs 5,000 crore to Karnataka. Out of this, Rs 3,500 crore will be spent in Bengaluru.