KA-FLOODS

Flood toll in Karnataka rises to 31; Shah to undertake aerial
survey
Bengaluru, Aug 11 (PTI) Four more people have died in
rain-related incidents in Karnataka, taking the toll to 31 on
Sunday as the flood situation remained grim in the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will conduct an aerial
survey of flood affected areas in Belagavi district and Chief
Minister B S Yediyurappa will join him in the exercise.
An official release said the death toll has risen to 31
with four more deaths last night while 14 people were missing.
As many as 3.14 lakh people have been evacuated and of
them 2.18 lakh people are staying in 924 relief camps, it
said.
"I am going to Belgaum (Belagavi). Our (BJP) national
president Amit Shah is arriving there. Together we will
conduct aerial survey in Belgaum, Bagalkote and other areas. I
will be back after he leaves for Delhi," Yediyurappa told
reporters here.
The state government on Saturday declared 80 taluks in 17
districts flood affected and said relief and rescue operations
will be carried out in a more focused manner in these places.
Most of the Taluks are in Belagavi district which bore
the brunt of the nature's fury.
The government has assessed that 21,431 houses and crops
in 4.16 lakh hectares had been damaged in the floods following
heavy rains.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday
conducted an aerial survey of the worst-affected Belagavi and
Bagalkote districts.
In the wake of series of landslides, the national highway
connecting Bengaluru and Mangaluru will remain closed at least
till Monday, official sources said.
They also said there was slight reduction in the water
level in the Netravati river in Dakshina Kannada district.
The water level near Bantwal has reduced from 11 metres
above the danger level to 9.1 metres above the danger level.
The overflowing river waters inundated several areas in
Bantwal with the affected people, including the family of
former union minister Janardhana Pujari, being rescued.
Reports received here said Tungabhadra river in Ballari
completely submerged a bridge near Hampi Fort, affecting roafd
traffic between Kampli and Gangawati towns. PTI GMS
VS VS

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from a PTI feed.)