Heavy rain affected life in Belagavi for the second day on Monday.
Most roads were inundated and traffic was disrupted. The police had to redirect traffic away from the Rani Channamma Circle after vehicle movement slowed down due to water-logging.
Water entered houses in low-lying areas, including Shivaji Nagar, Mandoli Road and Hindalga Road. Officials said that at least 10 houses were affected. Four houses have collapsed partially or completely.
Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil, who visited the affected areas, said that immediate relief will be given to the affected families in 24 hours.
“Our officials will complete the survey of damaged property in 24 hours. Houses where rainwater entered will receive ₹10,000. Owners of houses that collapsed will receive the scheduled compensation in 48 hours,” he said.
Occupants of vulnerable houses will be asked to move to safer places, he said. Compensation will be paid to tenants too, as per rules. Evacuation of occupants of vulnerable houses will include tenants.
The district administration and the city corporation are setting up 388 care centres for temporarily housing the affected families in the district. One of them will be in Annapurneswari Mangal Karyalaya at Keshav Nagar that the Deputy Commissioner visited.
He went around Keshav Nagar, Bharat Nagar, Angol, Raghunath Peth and Yallur Road. With ankle-deep water on most roads, the Deputy Commissioner went barefoot from door to door and street to street to talk to the affected families.
Mr. Patil visited the site of Angalo Wada where the house of Ashok Bendigeri collapsed completely. Mr. Bendigeri’s neighbours said that they feared that their houses too will collapse.
Meanwhile, Mr. Patil asked the corporation engineers to look into the matter. He also instructed revenue officials to quickly process the claims of the house owner.
Permanent solution
The Deputy Commissioner said that the State government is exploring a permanent solution to the problem of flooding in low-lying areas in the city.
“We are planning to connect streams and storm-water drains in the city that can help drain rainwater from all over the city, into the Ballari Nala. The initial tendering process is on for ₹5 crore. District in-charge Minister Govind Karjol will review the progress of the work along with Irrigation Ministry and district administration officials next week,’’ the Deputy Commissioner said.
A car owner said that his vehicle was damaged after a tree fell on it in a parking zone. Mr. Patil said that it will be eligible to receive compensation if the documents are in order.
