Following a major landslip in Kerala, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked Deputy Commissioners of all districts to take all precautionary measures to face floods and landslips in the wake of heavy rains.
Asking the DCs to focus on handling landslips being reported from Malnad and coastal areas, he directed all the district in-charge Ministers to monitor flood relief operations.
In addition to this, the chief minister has also asked the officials concerned to constantly monitor the storage level in reservoirs and accordingly take measures for flood control.
Wake-up call for Karnataka
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre has said that the Wayanad landslip is a wake-up call for Karnataka.
“This is a wake-up call for Karnataka as well. Such mishaps are increasing owing to the natural, endowed hills being cut down to make gardens, houses and resorts. Illegal felling of trees that hold the soil hard by their roots and destruction of grasslands (shola forest) are also causing the disaster,” he said
He said that there has been an increase of traffic in hill stations and emphasised the need to curb the influx of thousands of people visiting hill stations on weekends on the pretext of tourism and trekking.
In the wake of the Wayanad landslip and the recent Shirur landslip in Uttara Kannada district, he said that there needs to be regulation on unauthorised residential areas, homestays and resorts that are mushrooming in Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Hassan districts.
