Rain Fury Continues - Problems Aplenty, Holiday for Schools

Pics: Suvarna Brahmavar / Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jun 28: Heavy rains continued to batter Karnataka coast on Monday June 27. A number of low-lying areas were inundated, while landslides brought misery to a number of people. Collapsed houses, drowned minor bridges, fallen trees, and threat of floods have been the common features of the rain fury.

Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu districts in particular, got heavy rains. A number of houses collapsed because of dampened walls, while some others were crushed under fallen trees. In the rural belts, movement of people and vehicles were affected because of standing water on the roads and submerging of minor bridges. Several schools in Udupi district declared holiday in the afternoon on Monday because of copious rains. Some schools in and around Moodbidri also were closed because of rains.

Loss of about three lac rupees was inflicted on a house in Arantodu near Sullia, after a hillock suffered landslide, and mud as well as debris came crashing down on the house. Two persons were injured after a tree and an electric pole fell on two houses in Ulaibettu Malloor Demmale on Sunday night. The injured have been identified as Yousuf (50), and his wife, Zohara (47), both of whom were admitted into a hospital. A neighbouring house belonging to Abubakker too suffered damages in this incident. A house belonging to Mahabaleshwar Bhat in Kodapadavu near Vittal suffered losses after a tree fell on it. The compound wall of Kambalabettu government higher primary school near Vittal collapsed. There have been numerous reports of houses and buildings suffering damages because of fallen trees and landslides.

Turbulence in sea has worsened, and water level in Rivers like Kumaradhara, Payasvini and Netravatri and rivulets all along the twin-districts has registered a marked increase.  About 20 houses in Eandubail near Udyavar Kakkedarotodu turned virtual islands because of standing water all around. The Chelyadka Bridge on Parladka-Panaje Road, Teerhotti Bridge between Ajekar and Udupi, as well as several other such bridges are under water at present.  Land caved in at the place where fly ash of Udupi Power Corporation Ltd is being dumped at Santoor village near Padubidri, as a result of which a large tract of agricultural land has been rendered unsuitable for farming. A number of village roads have been washed away. Trees which fell across roads also gave rise to traffic snarls at a number of points on the coastal belt.

The local administrations have taken up rescue and relief work. But there have been a large of number of complaints about the insufficient preparedness on their part to handle natural calamity. Trenches dug on both side in a haphazard manner as part of national highway widening work between Kundapur and Suratkal  have been posing further problems for the pedestrians and other road users.

Mani near Bantwal received highest rainfall of 13 cms, while the other regions registered between six and 12 cms of rain. The meteorological department has warned of heavy rains during the period till Wednesday morning at most of places in the coast, some places in southern hinterland, and some more in northern hinterland.