Mounesh Vishwakarma / Kishore Peraje / Silvester D' Souza/
Suvarna Brahmavar / Ivan Mascarenhas
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal/Kundapur/Udupi (EP)
Bantwal/Kundapur/Udupi, Aug 1: Incessant rains coupled with stormy winds over the past 36 hours have wreaked havoc across the coastal region, with many parts inundated with floods, causing heavy damage to property and throwing life completely out of gear.
The Netravati river has swelled, flooding the surrounding areas. Ten houses have been partly submerged in Aladka. Water has entered several houses in Panemangalore, Aladka, Jakribettu, Bantwal and other areas. The danger level in Netravati river that was 5.6 mt on Thursday July 31 evening increased all of a sudden and reached 8.5 mt on Friday August 1. Tahsildar Malleswamy visited the flood affected areas and said that the residents will be shifted to safer places.
As the river started flowing above the danger mark, there were floods in and around Bantwal. Water flowing on the road in Bastipadpu disrupted traffic. The rain water on the road near Aladka hampered communication. The buses of the village region have had to ply on national highways due to the havoc. Houses in Nandavara and Guddeangady have submerged.
Heavy damage to crop was also reported with water entering several acres of agricultural land and areca plantations. Low lying areas in Goodinabali, Jakribettu, Bastipadpu and Baddakatte have been inundated. Water has entered shops in the basement of commercial buildings in the town and a major portion of the market. Water has entered farms and fields in Mayyara Bailu, Kanchikara Pete, Jainara Pete, Brahmarakootlu, Farangipet and other areas.
While non-stop rain is one of the reasons for the Netravati river to flow above the danger mark, the water let out from the dams in Beltangady and Shamboor have added to people's woes. However, the officials had giving warnings before letting out the water. As Shamboor AMR dam was filled, ten gates were opened on Thursday evening and extra water was let out. As the rain increased in intensity, 19 gates were opened on Friday, said AMR nodal officer Premnath.
As the floods sent people into panic, the police in Bantwal struggled hard to ensure their safety. Police from Bantwal worked hard amid torrential rains and strong winds to rescue people who were in difficulty. A team lead by Bantwal tahsildar Malleswamy took the initiative to shift affected people to safer places. B Ramanath Rai, minister of forests and district incharge minister instructed the revenue officials to take emergency measures to prevent further problems to the people.
Heavy rains have lashed Kundapur continuously for the last 24 hours, a month and a half after the official start of the monsoon. The unexpected heavy rains have brought misery to people in Kundapur.
The lakes and ponds are overflowing as also the drains. The four-lane work on National Highway 66 is on, but there was no work done on the Kundapur–Honnavar highway. The drains are blocked and rain water is overflowing on to the road causing problems to vehicles and commuters.
Floods are severe in Neramballi, Sattadi, Kumbashi, Koravadi, and Salkuda in Navunda. The lake near Naukuru is full and water has entered the houses. People have had to vacate their homes and live in the temples.
As the gates of Varahi dam were opened, Hattikudru island in Basrur Panchayat limits was submerged making the people anxious.The dam is breaking and the road is filled with mud. Though the locals have complained about it to the officials they have not responded, said local businessman Bhagwan Das. Police rushed to the spot and tried to control the situation. Locals expressed anguish at the apathy of the officials.
Schools and colleges declared holiday on Friday. As heavy rain is expected to lash the coast for the next 24 hours, the district administrations of Dakshina Kannada as well as Udupi have declared holiday for educational institutions on Saturday August 2 too.