Ahead of the monsoon season, the Kodagu district administration has begun identifying areas prone to landslides and floods and is asking the administrations in the taluks to provisionally shift people to safer places before rains commence.
Among the areas identified in Virajpet taluk was Ayyappa Hills and the administration had already recommended to the government permanent rehabilitation of the families living on the hills.
Until a decision is taken on the rehabilitation, the tahsildar and the executive officer of the taluk panchayat of Virajpet have been asked to initiate measures for relocating the families as a precaution.
Deputy Commissioner Charulatha Somal, after chairing a meeting of Virajpet taluk disaster management committee in Madikeri on Friday, told the officers to identify other vulnerable areas in the taluk .
Tahsildar Yogananda said 57 families in Ayyappa Hills and Nehru Nagar in the town had been identified for relocation. Thora, which witnessed a major landslide two years ago, has also been identified and families residing there would be shifted. Around 40 families in Vijayanagar locality in Virajpet might face problems in case of rain havoc and they too need to be relocated, he said.
Ms. Somal told the officials to take adequate precautions in flood-prone Nittur and Balale areas in the taluk.
