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Record monsoon rains turn Karnataka rivers into spate
Bengaluru, July 23 (IANS) Record southwest monsoon rains over the last seven weeks have turned rivers across Karnataka into spate, inundating low-lying areas, submerging road bridges and flooding farmlands, said an official on Monday.
“Heavy monsoon rains over coastal and Malnad regions since June have led to the reservoirs filling to their maximum levels and flooding the low-lying areas,” the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) Director G.S. Srinivasa Reddy told IANS here.
Major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin like the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) in Mandya district, Kabini reservoir in Mysuru district across Kabini river, one of the major tributaries of Cauvery, and others have received water to their maximum capacity.
“With good rains in the catchment areas, the reservoirs are in a good condition. The state will not have the fear of facing a hydrological drought (due to low water supply in reservoirs, ground levels),” Reddy added.
Even as the state has received a 13 per cent excess monsoon rainfall till date since June 4 when the southwest monsoon set in over Karnataka, the distribution of rainfall has been uneven with south interior and northern districts continuing to face rainfall deficit.
The southern districts of Chamarajanagar and Chikkaballapura and the northern districts of Ballari, Haveri, Vijayapura and Yadgir face a shortage of rainfall, according to the data from India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Bengaluru centre.
If the state does not receive good rains in August, nearly 50 per cent of Karnataka will have to face a drought as the rain-fed crops will not have enough water to grow, Reddy said.
“The KSNDMC has been receiving calls from several farmers in the south interior and northern districts that their crops are reaching a wilting stage. A large part of the state could see a drought without good rains ahead,” he added.
With the state’s reservoirs receiving water more than their capacity, Karnataka has been diverting the excess water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu for the past few weeks.
Cheering the excess rains filling the reservoirs, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who performed religious rituals and offered prayers at the KRS reservoir last week, said: “Good rain is nature’s solution to Cauvery issue.”
The apex court on February 16 increased Karnataka’s share of water by 14.75 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) to 284.75 from 270 tmc and lowered Tamil Nadu’s share to 404.25 tmc from 419 tmc.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.