Mangalore: Tempest Leaves Behind Trail of Destruction
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Aug 11: The heavy rain and wind that blew at high speed on Sunday August 10, inflicted huge losses to the property in several parts of the taluk. Electric poles were snapped and trees got uprooted due to the fury of the nature that was unleashed on the taluk.
The entire coastal region got heavy rains. All areas got an average of 8 cms of rainfall, with Dharmastala registering 11 cms of rain. Some interior places like Sringeri and Kottigehara in Chikmagalur district got 13 cms each of rainfall. Mangalore city too received heavy downpour. People did not venture of their houses for most part of the day. Roads wore a deserted look.
Roofs of several shops, hotels, bus stand, poultry farm, toddy shop and service stations in and around Haladi bus stand in Kundapur taluk were blown away due to the speeding winds. Trees which fell across roads, buildings and houses, disrupted traffic and inflicted heavy losses to the buildings. The loss in this respect, is estimated to be around three lac rupees. The roof of a maternity hospital too was blown away. A tile factory located at Haladi lost heavily after most of its stock of tiles got scattered and broke into pieces because of the unduly strong gale.
At about 2.30 pm, traffic between Kundapur and Udupi via Haladi came to a standstill after two giant-sized trees fell on the road. All the areas coming under Haladi electricity sub station submerged in darkness after electric lines got snapped. Several trees that fell across roads at Gangolli, Beejadi, Kambadakone, Yadthare and between Trasi and Byndoor on the national highway blocked traffic on these routes for several hours.
Large number of arecanut trees of various plantations located in Hallihole, Yedamoge and Kamalashile fell to the ground, unable to withstand the pressure exerted by winds. Rivers like Kubja, Swarna, Varahi and Chakra are overflowing, inundating low lying areas. Connectivity to Kattinady, Kambbinale and Devarbal and also Moodhithlu-Hallihole have been severed because of the rains.
Fishermen could not venture into the sea on Sunday. The sea erosion, which had abated since the last two days, has gained in intensity at Hosahithlu, Yadthare and Maravante. Navunda, Salbuda, Maravane and Padukone villages are facing the threat of floods because of rising levels of rivers. More than 25 houses in Navunda and Maravante too got damaged due to the uprooted trees falling on them.
Jogappa Achar(65), a resident of Mundkinajeddu near Brahmavar died after the electric cables got snapped and fell on him when he had ventured out of his house to bring his cattle back. A tree that fell on a bike rider Stephen Anil Mendonca(30) from Nejar who was moving towards Udupi from Kundapur at the time, badly injured him in the afternoon of Sunday. A tree that got uprooted on the house of Sharada Mendon at Bykampadi Meenakaliya resulted in a loss of about Rs.2.5 lacs to the family. The house of Jayaram Acharya located at Beluvai Nadyodi Snanadabettu in Moodbidri was partly damaged due the uprooting of a tree.
Train services between Mangalore and Bangalore was cancelled on Sunday, after a section of the railway track experienced a landslide on the ghat section. Hundreds of labourers are working to clear the track.
Hosmut bridge got submerged again, blocking traffic between Uppinangadi and Kadaba. The bridge, which went under water at about 11.30 pm on Saturday, continued to be so till late night on Sunday, stranding hundreds of pilgrims and others on both sides. Water level in Gundya rivulet and Kumaradhara river have swelled