Civil authorities can stop all illegal constructions: Shivakumar | Latest news India

Days after an under-construction building collapsed in Bengaluru, killing eight people, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has said the government has given civic bodies the power to stop construction of unauthorized buildings of poor quality.

Shivakumar, who is also the development minister of Bengaluru, said on Saturday: “The previous government had curtailed the powers of officials to take action against unauthorized construction. Our government has decided to give the powers of stopping unauthorized construction to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA). The registration of unauthorized properties will also be stopped. At the same time, we are also focusing on cleaning up breaches.”

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday held a meeting with district collectors and chief executive officers (CEOs) to discuss the impact of heavy rains. Karnataka received 181 mm of rain from October 1 to 25, a 58% increase over the usual rainfall of 114 mm.

Siddaramaiah said excessive rainfall from June to September had already paved the way for significant challenges, with the state recording 978 mm, 15% above the usual 852 mm. “We were expecting heavier than normal rain in many parts of the state,” he said.

Flood damage has taken a significant toll on the state’s infrastructure and its residents. According to official data, 25 people were killed, 84 houses were damaged and 2,077 houses suffered partial damage. A compensation of ₹1.20 lakh per completely damaged house and maximum ₹50,000 euros have been ordered for partially damaged houses, the report said.

Crop damage has also affected large areas in the state. Heavy rains have reportedly destroyed 74,993 hectares of agricultural land and 30,941 hectares of horticultural crops. Assuring assistance, Siddaramaiah said the district collectors have been directed to complete a joint survey within a week to accurately assess the losses. “A joint crop damage investigation is underway and will be completed within three to four days. Compensation for these losses is inevitable,” he said at the meeting.

Karnataka’s reservoirs are nearing full capacity. With a total storage capacity of 895.62 TMC, they currently hold 871.26 TMC, a drastic increase from 505.81 TMC in the same period last year. Siddaramaiah said, “Adequate resources are available for flood relief ₹666.96 crore available through District Collector and Tahsildar accounts.

In Bengaluru, which saw the third highest rainfall in October at 275 mm, the CM said continued efforts to prevent recurring disasters due to flooded waterways. “When I was Prime Minister earlier, I had ordered clearing of all encroachments on the Raj canals, but incomplete work has led to repeated flood hazards,” he noted.

Plans to build retaining walls along 173 km of the Raj canals in Bengaluru have received in-principle approval from the World Bank, and Siddaramaiah expressed hope to start the project early next year. The United Nations has also offered that ₹2,000 crore in financial support for these projects.

For road and infrastructure repairs in Bengaluru, the CM announced that a ₹There is a 669 crore proposal underway, and ₹275 crore has been earmarked by the National Disaster Management Authority for widening bridges and developing lakes. Emergency funds from ₹50 crore has been allocated to improve canal infrastructure around local lakes, while 12,553 km of rural roads and 1,106 small bridges have been affected by rain damage in Karnataka.

Additionally, the state government has implemented new flood management protocols. “We have set up additional control rooms in 63 subdivisions and eight zones to effectively manage flood responses,” he said.