Residents leave homes fearing floods

Madikeri: Some residents of Kuvempu and Sai Shankara layout in Kushalnagara have left their homes fearing that rainwater would flood their dwellings.

They have been facing flooding for the last three years as water enters their homes whenever water level rises in the Cauvery river. The water level increases following water release from Harangi reservoir.

Residents told that they were vacating houses carrying valuable things to save them from being damaged by floodwater. They urged the authorities to find a permanent solution to their problem. Heavy rains in the Harangi catchment

area has caused rise in inflow of water into the reservoir.

An NDRF team is camping in the district to launch rescue operation in case of any emergency. The district administration has opened a 24x7 helpline.