Karnataka: Lightning, cyclone alert system in select places

Bengaluru: In a bid to save lives, Karnataka is mulling to install lightning alert system and cyclone warning system, Revenue Minister, R. Ashoka said here on Tuesday.

After a review meeting of Karnataka disaster management authority here, Ashoka told reporters that the state government is taking measures to alert people about possible lightning strikes in select villages and cyclone warning system in coastal areas in the state.

He added that every year, many people die due to lightning, hence, the state government has come up with this plan to introduce a lightning alert system at select villages.

"This project will be taken up with union government's support. Once these warning systems are installed at select gram panchayats it will be connected with the weather office in Bengaluru," he explained.

He further added that the state government was planning to extend the cyclone warning system in coastal areas and new features like sirens will be sounded which can be heard up to 6 km.

"At this juncture, we are planning to install this facility in at least 40 places in coastal areas and soon plan to extend it to 60 places," the minister added.

According to him, each centre would cost anywhere between Rs 10 to Rs 12 crore and this will be especially help to warn fishermen and those staying in coastal areas.

The minister stated that the state officially declared 83 taluks in the state as flood hit. "Earlier, we had declared 61 taluks as flood-affected. However, following the recent rainfall and flood situation, we have added 22 taluks to the list. With the latest addition, there are 83 taluks in Karnataka which are declared as flood-hit," Ashoka said.

The list includes Belagavi, Chikkamagaluru, Hubballi city, Kadur, Davanagere, Dandeli, Alur, Lakshmeshwar, Tarikere, Mundagod, Supa, Hubballi, Bhadravati, Channagiri, Annigeri, Babaleshwar, Nidagundi, Kolhar, Muddebihal, Harapanahalli, Hosanagar and Mudigere, he said.

Ruling BJP MLA from Mudigere, M. P. Kumaraswamy had recently staged a sit-in protest accusing his own party leader, BJP national general secretary, C. T. Ravi for interfering in his constituency affairs and he had blamed that his constituency that has been repeatedly

ravaged by torrential rains, floods and landslides over the last couple of years.