After days of flood and rain havoc in several districts of Karnataka, the situation improved on Tuesday with water receding in the affected areas, even as the toll rose to 54 and nearly four lakh people lodged in 1,151 relief camps.
Relief and rehabilitation operations have gathered pace in the 21 districts in north, coastal and Malnad regions, where the rains had created mayhem in the past one week.
"Inflows into the reservoirs are steadily decreasing, flood situation is improving," the state government said on Tuesday in an official release.
Search and rescue operations continued on Tuesday too in some places for those missing and stranded.
Fifteen people are still classified as missing.
However, focus by and large has now shifted to relief and rehabilitation work, with officials now concentrating on restoring road connectivity, power and water supply.
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A total of 100 taluks in 21 districts are affected due to floods and rains in the State, where 1,151 relief camps have been opened giving shelter for nearly four lakh people.
Joint rescue teams comprising Fire and Emergency, SDRF, NDRF and Army have evacuated 6.97 lakh people as on Tuesday.
As many as 55,325 houses have been damaged, and agriculture and horticulture crop loss (preliminary assessment) stands at 4.45 lakh hectares, according to official figures.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday visited flood-affected areas in his home district of Shivamogga to oversee the relief work and held discussion with officials.
He said his government was committed to providing all kinds of relief and assistance to those affected by floods and rains in the state.
"For the last 15 days I have continuously toured the flood affected areas of the state and tried to instil confidence among those who have been affected.
I have told them that the government is with them," he said at an event in his constituency of Shikaripura.
The Chief Minister on Monday had announced an assistance of Rs five lakh each to those who have lost their houses completely in the floods and landslides to take up reconstruction work.
He also announced Rs one lakh to those whose houses have been damaged, and Rs 5,000 monthly to those staying in rental accommodation till their houses are ready.
Meanwhile, the state government has decided to celebrate independence day in a "simple" way as most parts of the State had been affected by floods and incessant rains.
With the Chief Minister heading a "one-man" Cabinet with no Ministers, senior government officials have been asked to hoist the national flag on August 15 at district and taluk level functions.
The state government has requested the Centre to immediately release Rs 3,000 crore to take up the relief and rehabilitation work.
Urging Yediyurappa to take up relief work in flood and rain ravaged areas on a "war footing", the Congress state unit on Tuesday demanded that the BJP-led central government immediately announce Rs 5,000 crore as interim relief.
Hitting out at the Union government for "delay" in announcing immediate relief to the state, Congress' state unit chief Dinesh Gundu Rao said with no ministers, Yediyurappa's administration "resembled" President's rule.
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda assured Yediyurappa of full cooperation from him and that of his party in the state government's efforts towards rebuilding the lives of those affected in flood and rain ravaged parts.
In a letter to Yediyurappa, the JD(S) patriarch also wished success to programmes or relief work undertaken by the state government for the betterment of flood victims.
Gowda had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in which he has urged the centre to release Rs 5,000 crore as interim relief to the flood-hit state and to declare it as "National Calamity".
Meanwhile, the CM's Relief Fund has so far received nearly Rs 2.69 crore donation towards flood relief.