After Express report, Belgaum DC acts

BELGAUM: The Express report on the inactive flood helplines that appeared on Saturday has woken the district authorities from slumber as deputy commissioner Ajay Nagabhushan instructed tashildars of all the 10 taluks to be alert and face the possible flood situation in the district.Nagabhushan told Express on Saturday that he has instructed tahsildars to depute responsible officials to attend helplines round the clock. Officials would register all the calls made to the helpline numbers round the clock, he added.The deputy commissioner said stringent action would be taken against officials guilty of negligence in tackling the flood situation.Express had carried a special story on Saturday exposing the ill-preparedness of the administration in handling the flood situation as there was no response to any calls made to most of the helpline numbers provided by the deputy commissioner.Meanwhile, member of Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) R H Raddi, who was in the city on an official tour on Saturday, took serious note of the report published in Express and said the KSHRC would consider registering a suo motu case against erring officials.“Such negligence could amount to violation of the right to life,” he said.