Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Aug 6: The state has been receiving heavy rainfall in almost all parts of the state on Tuesday, August 6.

The Indian Meteorological Department has issued 48-hour red warnings in six districts including Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Kodagu and Udupi districts; orange warnings have been issued in Belagavi, Hassan and Haveri; and yellow alert has been issued in Dharwad and Kalaburgi. The IMD states that rain may recede in Bagalakote, Yadgir, Raichur and Vijayapura in the next 48 hours.

The tourists, who were stranded inside Veerabhadreshwara Swamy Temple amid gushing water from Kalhathigiri waterfalls at Tarikere, were rescued by police and local residents.

With the increase in water from waterfalls, 35 tourists had remained stranded inside the temple. They were rescued using the rope in the afternoon.

Local auto drivers helped in the rescue operation.

All the tourists are safe now.

Authorities in Bagalakote on Tuesday issued directed villagers to vacate to safe areas as 4.5 lac cusecs water may have to be released at any moment due to the high inflow. D Basavaraj, KBJNL Executive Engineer at Almatti dam, has said in a release that the warning was being issued due to the continuing heavy rain in the catchment area of Krishna River.

The engineer has also cautioned that those living next to the river course also need to be on high alert.

The heavy rains that lashed several parts of north Karnataka over the last two days has displaced hundreds of people. The incessant rains in six northern districts – Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Bagalakote, Yadgir, Raichur and Vijayapura – have resulted in homes being inundated with water.

According to the Central Relief Commission, around 8,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Belagavi district alone. Of these, 3,132 people have been shifted to relief camps. The remaining are yet to be rescued as crucial roads have been blocked due to the flooding. Relief camps have been set up in Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Bagalakote and Raichur districts.