A team of officers from the Union government toured North Karnataka districts on Sunday, to assess the loss caused by floods in the Krishna basin in July this year.
In Dharwad, the team met farmers in Alnavar and Navalgund who had lost their crops to floods. The farmers complained that heavy rain had destroyed their crops and made it impossible for them to repay their loans.
Maize, coconut, arecanut, green gram, black gram and banana were destroyed, they said and urged the team to compensate their loss. Some farmers showed the team members the damaged crops that they had kept in their houses.
Meanwhile, the officers visited Jai Bharath Colony at Kumbarganavi and Indrammana Kere that breached twice in three years in Alnavar.
The team included Superintending Engineer of the Ministry of Jalashakti Guru Prasad J. and Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Mahesh Kumar.
Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil received them at the Hubballi Airport and briefed them about the floods and the condition of farmers who lost crops, houses and cattle.
Mr. Patil told the team that agriculture crops on 23,238 hectares and horticulture crops on 276 hectares in Dharwad district were destroyed. A total of 1,316 houses were partially damaged and seven were completely damaged.
The team also inspected roads and bridges, anganwadi centres and primary health centres that were damaged. Officers told them that 51 km of State Highways, 63.4 km Major Roads and 31 bridges in the district were damaged. Officers said that 148 government school buildings, 134 anganwadi centres and 32 primary health centrrs too have partially collapsed.
Mr. Patil told journalists that a joint survey had revealed a loss of ₹502 crore due to the floods in July. He said that the team was taken to damaged houses, public property, schools and also tanks belonging to the Minor Irrigation Department.
The State government has approved development of Indrammana Kere at a cost of ₹9.40 crore, he said. A team of engineers from Indian Institute of Science visited the tank site and prepared an estimation. NIT-K Suratkal engineers have submitted a design to the government. Works will start soon, he said.
In Belagavi, the team visited farms and public property in Khanapur, Hukkeri and Gokak taluks on the first day of its visit.
Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath received the team in the morning and briefed them before the visit. He accompanied them to various sites later. He took them to an exhibition of photographs at Holemma temple in Badakundri village.
The team comprised Chief Controller of Accounts in the Union Home Ministry Sushil Paul, Director of Union Agriculture Ministry K Manoharan, Shubham Garga from the Power Ministry and Manoj Ranjan of the Karnataka Disaster Management Authority.
Mr. Paul said that multiple teams are visiting the State and they will submit a report to the Union government after holding meetings with senior officers in Bengaluru, after the field visits.
A farmer at Jinarala Cross near Hukkeri told the team that he had expected 12 tonnes of cabbage and tomato from half an acre, but got less than two tonnes. “I spent over ₹30,000 on inputs. All that is lost now,’’ he said.
The team also visited villages on the banks of the Hiranyakesi.
Mr. Manoj Ranjan told journalists that the State has sought ₹765 crore from the Centre as flood relief.
