Udupi: Incessant Rains Leave Residents Stranded - Rescue Operations On
Report from Gladson D'Almeida
Pics: Kevin Rodrigues
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD)
Udupi, Aug 11: The coastal district has been witnessing heavy rains coupled with high velocity gales in the past ten days, owing to which several coastal areas lying close to the estuary of the Swarna and the Sita rivers have been inundated since Monday August 11 morning. The water levels are dangerously increasing in the localities of Baikady, Heroor, Uppor, Matpady, Mabukula and Handady which come under the limits of Brahmavar, forcing the residents to try and shift to safer areas.
Daijiworld correspondent touring the rain-soaked areas, reported that the local administration has pressed a few ferry boats in the inundated locality, in order to rescue the stranded residents. However, they are not reaching the actual people. Accordinlgy, the locals with their own country boats are also engaged in rescue operation even as the water levels have been steadily rising through Monday night. The electricity supply and communication lines are snapped throughout the flooded areas. The high velocity gales have damaged electric poles, palm groves and crops across the district. The access to mobile connectivity is also affected owing to disruption of signals beaming from mobile towers. The district administration has been slow in responding to the woes of locals.
Unconfirmed reports state that two mechanized boats which were returning from fishing at Malpe fisheries port seem to have capsized in turbulent sea. They were the first lot of fishermen who ventured into the sea on the very first day of lifting the ban on deep sea fishing by mechanized boats on Sunday August 10.
All these inundated areas lie in close proximity to estuary of both the Sita and the Swarna rivers which are bloated with rain water pouring downstream into the Arabian Sea at Maravanthe.