Bhatkal: In an emergency meeting held on Thursday evening, Uttara Kannada District in-charge Minister Mankal Vaidya discussed the rain damage situation in Uttara Kannada district with the district officials at Bhatkal.

During the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Prabhuling Kavalikatti provided details about the precautionary measures taken to address the flood damage. Two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have already been deployed to Ankola and Honnavar taluks, the areas most affected by the floods. He assured that the SDRF teams are well-equipped to handle any emergency situation, with all necessary equipment including jackets provided.

Currently, the Linganamakki dam, which has a capacity of 151.64 tmc, still holds 138 tmc of water. On Thursday, 15,000 cusecs of water flowed into the Linganamakki reservoir. If the flow rate continues at this pace, there will be no need to release water from the dam until the end of July. Flood forecasts will be issued once the Linganamakki dam reaches 65%, 75%, and 85% of its full capacity. Shri Lakshmi, Executive Engineer of Gerusoppa KPC, reassured the peple of  Sharavati belt that there is no cause for panic.

Furthermore, Deputy Commissioner Prabhuling Kavalikatti announced that schools and colleges in coastal taluks will remain closed on Friday due to the ongoing rain. This decision was made by the district administration to account for the anticipated rainfall. The issue of school holiday confusion was raised during Thursday's meeting, and the minister suggested taking measures to ensure clarity.

Expressing the need for an active administrative machinery in response to the heavy rain in Uttara Kannada district, Minister Mankal Vaidya mentioned that he left the Assembly session to address the grievances of the people.

After the meeting, the minister is scheduled to travel to Bangalore for the budget session, which is set to take place on Saturday. The district administration should make all necessary preparations for rain damage relief across every taluk in the district. Measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of problems related to roads, drains, and silt next year. During the rainy season, officers from every department are expected to leave their offices and actively engage in addressing people's problems. It is crucial that compensation for rain damage victims is not delayed. The minister emphasized that there is no need to wait for a new government order and that the old order can continue until a new one is issued. Assistant Commissioner Dr. N. Nayana and others were also present at the meeting.

Demand for Cleaning the Bhatkal Sharabi River and Punching the Sides: Taking advantage of Minister Mankal Vaidya's presence in Bhatkal, Bhatkal Municipal Councilor Qaiser Mohtsham raised concerns about the state of the Sharabi river. He informed Minister Mankal Vaidya that the entire river has become a sewer due to the discharge of sewage, along with the accumulation of soil and mud. This has resulted in hundreds of wells in the vicinity being contaminated by sewage water. Additionally, he highlighted that while punching work has been carried out on one side of the river, the other side, which has a significant Muslim population, has been neglected. This has increased the risk of flooding in Muslim areas. Qaiser requested Minister Mankal to address this issue by ensuring the completion of the punching work through the relevant department. Inayatullah Shahbandri, the president of the social organization Tanzeem, and former councilor Ashfaq KM, who were also present at the meeting, supported Qaiser's demands and urged the minister to prioritize the resolution of the Sharabi river problem.

In response to these concerns, Minister Mankal Vaidya instructed Engineer Rajini Tlikar from the Minor Irrigation Department to visit the affected area and prepare a report regarding the cleaning of the river and the required punching work. The minister emphasized the importance of addressing the issue promptly.