Minister for Urban Development B.A. Basavaraj, who has been appointed minister in-charge of Chikkamagaluru district, visited the rain-hit areas of the district on Saturday.
Along with senior officers of the district administration, the minister visited parts of Mudigere and Chikkamagaluru taluks and analysed the impact of the heavy rains. He interacted with officers and local people about the difficulty they have been facing for the past few days.
During his visit to Arenuru near Aldur, the minister found himself stuck on a muddy road. With the help of his assistant staff, he was able to get out.
According to the district administration’s estimates, as many as 199 houses have been damaged in the district. Among them, 33 have been damaged completely. One person has died, while three others have gone missing.
As per the initial reports, horticulture crops in 5.80 ha have been affected badly. Besides, 11 road bridges and 161 km-long roads have been damaged. The district administration has appealed to the public not to go near the streams, tanks and rivers as they have swollen following heavy rains.