Karnataka: Life thrown out of gear as rain continues to batter State

Mangaluru: As per the reports of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the South Westerly monsoon has covered the entire State of Karnataka and, on Saturday, reached the arid parts, particularly Kalaburgi district. For the first time since 2010, an 'Yellow' alert has been issued for the district.

The district received heavy to very heavy rainfall on Saturday and, according to the district Met office, a heavy rain will continue till Sunday. The district which is known for its perennial hot condition experienced cool weather The rain was so heavy that many places in the district got flooded. The district authorities declared holidays for schools and colleges on Saturday.

Similarly, Bidar, another arid district, also has been put on 'Yellow' alert along with its neighbour Belagavi.

On the coastal belt Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts continued to reel under rain misery. Heavy to very heavy and excess rainfall in the Western Ghats resulted in several west-flowing rivers getting heavy inflows. The Kali river in Uttara Kannada has risen by three feet. Dandeli residents are concerned since the water has already begun to inundate residential areas on the outskirts. Varada, Kumudwathi and Tungabhadra rivers are flowing at their maximum capacity. A 'Red alert' was issued because heavy rain was forecast in the coastal district of Udupi on Saturday.

Schools and institutions in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, and Udupi districts were closed. An 'Orange' alert has been issued in the districts of Chikkamaglur, Shivamogga, Kodagu and Hassan.

Landslides have been reported in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, and Udupi's coastal districts. Movement of vehicles on National Highway 66 was disrupted following a landslide in Uttara Kannada district. The possibility of a landslide is present in several areas in Uttara Kannada. Sharavathi, Kaali, Aghanashini, and Gangavali rivers are at dangerous levels.

A Spice Jet flight from Dubai that arrived in Mangaluru at 9.30 pm on Friday was diverted to Kochi. Heavy rain has claimed the lives of 12 people in the state so far.

Udupi worst affected

Heavy rains drenched Udupi district. According to estimates, for the first time in eight years the district has received 832 mm of rainfall from July 1 to July 8, compared to normal 367 mm.

Several low-lying areas in Navunda, Byndoor taluk, were flooded. Hundreds of acres of paddy fields were inundated. Locals urged the authorities to supply them with smaller boats so that they could easily manoeuvre around submerged coconut fields.

Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar visited rain-hit areas in Sanoor, near Karkala, and Andaru, near Hebri, urging officials to speed for relief operations. Heavy rains damaged a bridge in Andaru, while a landslide happened near Government PU College in Sanoor. A bridge was submerged in Jogalbettu. As a result, inhabitants of Kaveradka and Durga villages were unable to commute to the nearest motorable roads.

Since July 1, a total of 250 hectares of paddy field in the Udupi district have been destroyed. In total, 13 bridges have been destroyed, and 1,515 electrical poles have fallen. 64 dwellings have been damaged in some way. The overall loss caused by the rain is expected to be Rs 24.73 crore. Udupi DC Kurma Rao M stated that the projected amount of loss could rise because damage in other areas has still to be assessed.

The India Meteorological Department has prediceds heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning, squalls, and strong surface winds in the coming days. Udupi taluk received 78.3 mm of rain, Brahmavara-81.5 mm, Kaup-65.3 mm, Kundapur-109.3 mm, Byndoor-126.1 mm, Karkala-120.4 mm, and Hebri-136.2 mm of rain in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Friday.

Dakshina Kannada district also got a record rainfall of 1869 mm against 1522 mm (normal) in the current monsoon period. Sullia taluk received 1996 mm rain.