From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 16: The devastation caused by cyclonic storm Tauktae in the coastal region has resulted in eight persons missing in the sea near Suratkal of Dakshina Kannada district, of whom two persons have already been rescued, while the search operations by the coast guard are continuing. The cyclonic storm has also resulted in severe damages to at least 34 houses and other public properties, Karnataka’s home minister Basavaraj Bommai said in Bengaluru on Sunday.

A total of specially trained personnel have been deployed in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, the minister said.

Bommai, who is also in charge of the state’s law and parliamentary affairs, was speaking to reporters after dedicating the Rs 20 crore worth of modern safety equipment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) at the Karnataka fire and emergency services, home guards and civil defence department in Bengaluru.

The minister participated in the video conference organized by BJP national president J P Nadda on the situation of Karnataka’s coastal districts in the wake of the cyclonic storm Tauktae and stated that the state government was fully geared to meet the situation.

Special teams of 1,000 trained personnel from SDRF and NDRF have been deployed to manage the situation and help the local people in the three coastal districts, he said.

The Rs 20 crore worth of equipment dedicated by the minister at SDRF included essential machinery for handling natural disasters such as basic toolbox, high-voltage safety rods, portable stretchers, scuba diving suits, underwater torches, wood cutting machines, concrete cutting machines, plasma cutters, hydraulic heavyweight chipping hummer trucks etc.

The minister said the state government would take steps to strengthen the state’s SDRF and establish two SDRF units in the state between Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad and Belagavi to help the easy deployment of the trained personnel across the state. Modern and sophisticated equipment necessary in handling natural disasters at a cost of Rs 15 crore this year.

He said the state government has already inducted 100 retired military personnel to strengthen the SDRF last year and another 100 retired military personnel will be appointed this year too.

Home department’s additional chief secretary, Rajneesh Goel, DGP and IGP Praveen Sood, DGP and fire force and emergency services director, Amar Kumar Pandey, ADGP Sunil Agarwal and ADGP Malini Krishnamurthy were present.