Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 12: Initial monsoon rain on Thursday resulted in water entering some houses and shops in low-lying areas, exposed loopholes in underground drainage system at Puttur, and resulted in rough sea. Traffic block was a common phenomenon all over the coast with water, sometimes knee-deep, flowing on the road either drains have not been cleared properly or because they are unable to handle inflow of water.

Puttur and B C Road were the worst hit, as standing water on main roads inundated the roads and low-lying structures. Artificial floods created impediment in movement of vehicles. In some cases, effluents started flowing directly on the roads, as the drains could not sustain the force of flowing water.

In Bantwal, water leaked through the cement sheet of the taluk office roof. As computer, telephone, internet and electrical wiring system suffered, there was delay in serving the general public. Bantwal tahsildar has asked the people living in low-lying areas like Bayaluguppe and Bolame in Sajipanadu villages to vacate their homes and shift to places in higher altitude because of risk of rain water gushing into their homes. In a couple of cases, protective walls of wells collapsed and a compound wall fell to the ground.

School children and people faced a hard time wading through knee-deep water in Sullia. A compound wall partially crashed after an electric pole fell on it at Modankap in B Mooda village in Bantwal taluk. At the same time, sea erosion worsened at Mukkacheri and other places near Ullal.

Traffic jam occurred at Charmadi Ghat section of the national highway because of heavy rain, landslides, and road repair works on Thursday for several hours. Frustration of passengers rose as vehicles lined up for several kilometres. JCBs have been pressed into service to clear mud that had got deposited on the roads at several places due to landslides.

In the city too, water from drainage mixed with rain water flowed on the roads as manholes could not handle the load. Vehicles moved slowly, creating chaos at many places. The Agriculture Produce Market Yard at Bykampady resembled an arficial pond because of inefficient drainage system there.