[caption id="attachment_202129" align="aligncenter" width="565"]
Indian Army members conduct rescue and evacuation drive in flood-affected regions on Sunday.[/caption]
Kodagu (Karnataka), Aug. 19 (IANS): About 3,500 marooned people were rescued in Karnataka’s worst flood-hit Kodagu district even as incessant rains hampered relief work, the government said on Sunday.
“The Indian Army, Navy and other state and central agencies have rescued more than 3,500 people so far,” a statement from Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s office said.
Of the hundreds stranded across this flood-hit hilly district, about 270 km from Bengaluru, the 3,500 rescued till Sunday noon have been shifted to 30 relief camps and efforts were on to reach the others held up on hilltops.
The exact number of people still stranded across the district could not be ascertained from the officials.
Located in the Western Ghats mountain ranges, the coffee-growing district is the worst-hit due to the south-west monsoon rains since June first week.
The incessant rains have been causing flooding and landslips across the region, damaging the arterial roads.
Over 60 people have been stranded in Mukkodlu village of the district, but airlifting them has not been possible due to bad weather, Kumaraswamy said on Saturday.
About 300 people were rescued on Saturday, including more than 30 senior citizens and 50 children.
About 60 Dogra Regiment soldiers, 12 naval divers, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials, 525 fire service personnel and Home Guards are among those working on rescue operations. In total, over 1,000 rescuers from state and central agencies have been engaged in the rescue operations.
Hundreds of volunteers from state capital Bengaluru and across the state have been gathering relief material, including dry food, water, milk, clothing and medicines, and distributing them to those in the temporary shelters in the district.
The water being released from Harangi reservoir in the district across Harangi river, one of Cauvery’s tributaries, has been adding to the flooding of towns and villages in the region.
Over the last 24 hours, the district received an average rainfall of 5.4 cm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Few parts of the district received rain upto 11.5 cm. Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande has been overseeing the rescue and relief operations.
The state-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corp (KSRTC) on Sunday resumed all its intra-state bus services towards Kodagu and Mangaluru and inter-state services towards Kerala.
The bus services were suspended over the past few days towards Kodagu, Mangaluru and flood-hit Kerala due to the landslips and damaged roads caused by the rains.
Centre keeps eye on disease outbreak in Kerala, sets up camps
The Centre has set up 3,757 medical camps in flood-battered Kerala to prevent epidemic diseases even though no outbreak of any communicable disease has been reported there so far, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.
"While no outbreak of any communicable disease has been reported, health experts opine that once floodwaters start to recede, the environment will become conducive for epidemic diseases. The state has been asked for daily surveillance to detect early warning signs of any outbreak," a Ministry statement said.
Health advisories on infectious diseases, their prevention and control, safe drinking water, hygiene steps, vector control and others have been shared with the state.
"Following the state's request, the first batch of 90 types of medicines in requested quantity will reach Kerala on Monday."
It said that quick-response teams will also be sent to Kerala for emergency medical care.
"We are extending all support and continuously monitoring the flood situation. The Health Secretary is in touch with the state's health functionaries and monitoring the situation daily through the disease surveillance network," the statement quoted Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda as saying.
Nadda said that he had spoken to Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja and is monitoring the situation and coordinating with other states providing medicines to the flood-affected state.
