Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jun 27: Heavy rains have been soaking coastal Karnataka since the last three days. Even neighbouring districts like Shimoga, Kodagu and Chikmagalur have been receiving copious rains. As a result, water level at Linganamakki reservoir gained by two feet on a single day.

A number of low-lying areas are covered by water. Water level in rivers is rising steadily. The farmers are happy, as they can now resume paddy cultivation in their fields, which had suffered because of shortage of rain so far. A footbridge between Kollur and Bavadi village in Kundapur taluk gave way, snapping road communication between these villages. Sea erosion has intensified, and some places located by the side of rivers and rivulets are facing the threat of floods.

Linganamakki in Shimoga district received 21 cms of rain, highest in the state. The coastal belt recorded between five and ten cms of rain on an average. The meteorological department has predicted normal rains during the next two days. In spite of heavy rain, the work of repairing the road  leading to Subrahmanya was undertaken on a war footing on Sunday, in view of the proposed visit by the state Chief Minister today.

The recently completed stretch of the protective wall of national highway 66 (former 17) at Kadri Barebail in the city collapsed on Saturday night, damaging a house in the process. The main gate of the house owned by Herman C J Pereira, his car parked in front of the house, and a welding and fabrication workshop owned by him, were damaged by a huge mound of mud which got deposited on them. The response of highway contractors was late, and work to restore the wall and remove the mud began on Sunday evening with lot of delay, Herman said. Traffic briefly came to a halt on Sullia-Mangalore state highway after a roadside hillock suffered landslide near Madenadu. Fallen trees have also affected movement of vehicles at various places.