Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe/Spoothi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi (MS)
Mangaluru/Udupi, Dec 3: Heavy rains pounded Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Monday afternoon and evening due to the impact of Cyclone Fengal. The rains continued overnight and persist into Tuesday morning.
Several areas in Mangaluru experienced flooding, disrupting traffic in Kottara Chowki, PVS, Pumpwell, Bajjodi, Bajal underpass, and Padil. The IMD has issued an orange alert until Tuesday morning, followed by a yellow alert. Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea until December 6 due to rough conditions, and tourists are prohibited from visiting beaches in both districts.
In Ullal, the sea turned violent, causing damage to a house owned by Deepavati Praveen in Naringana. Another house, owned by Jameela in Rantadka, is at risk after a hill collapsed beside it in Boliyar. A wooden sawmill in Thokkottu also sustained damage due to flooding.
A house compound collapsed in Falnir at around 3:30 am on Tuesday. An elderly resident of the house was safely moved to a relative's home following the incident. While the entire compound was destroyed, no casualties were reported.
Sudden rains forced the cancellation of several marriage and Yakshagana programs, while street and market vendors struggled as people stayed indoors. Farmers are alarmed by the unexpected downpour during the harvest season for paddy and arecanut.
In Udupi, heavy rainfall was reported in Byndoor, Kundapur, Haladi, Hebri, Karkala, Kota, Saligrama, Uppur, Brahmavar, Hiriyadka, Kaup, Katpady, Padubidri, and Machakal areas. Thunderstorms caused power outages across several regions. The IMD predicts more rain in the coming days.
Almost all fishing boats have docked at the Malpe fishing port due to the adverse weather.