Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Aug 12: Flood situation in coastal Karnataka, which was battered by rain that was fierce and fearsome since a week, is easing. On Sunday August 11, the flood situation improved a lot, and normal life is limping back to normalcy.
Beltangady taluk and other places located at the foot of the Western Ghats, which were the worst hit, have also experienced improvement in the situation. Affected persons continue to be looked after at the relief camps.
MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district, Sasikanth Senthil, legislative council member, Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLA Harish Poonja and officials extensively toured the flood-affected areas, guided the people and infused confidence in them by assuring that they will support the people's efforts to return to their normal lives.
As the meteorological department has predicted heavy rains in the district again on Monday, the administration has issued red alert. Fire brigades have been kept ready in all the taluks, five Coast Guard teams are ready for action while two home guards teams also have been kept in preparedness.
As the flood receded, people and businessmen in Bantwal, Panemangalore etc got busy with cleaning their premises of dirt and slime which have accumulated. Municipal workers have joined hands ion cleaning work. District and sessions judge, Kadlur Satyanarayanacharya and Bantwal judges visited the flood-hit areas and checked the relief measures. They were accompanied by Bantwal MLA, Rajesh Naik Ulippady, assistant commissioner, Ravichandra Nayak, tahsildar, Rashmi S R and other officials. The official said that they are driven more by humanitarian concern and as such they have been functioning beyond their duties.
City (south) MLA,D Vedavyas Kamath, Kundapur MLA, Halady Srinivas Shetty, Byndoor MLA, B M Sukumar Shetty, Beltangady MLA, Harish Poonja, city (north) MLA, Bharath Shetty, city constituency MLA, U T Khader, Moodbidri MLA, Umanath Kotian, Lalaji R Mendon from Kaup, Raghupati Bhat from Udupi, Sanjeev Matandoor from Puttur, S Angara from Sullia, V Sunil Kumar from Karkala, council members, Ivan D'Souza and Harish Kumar also visited various areas and guided relief operations.
Balebare ghat restriction: As vehicular traffic on Charmadi and Shiradi ghat roads have been restricted, most of the vehicles are taking the Balebare Ghat route via Hosangadi. Kundapur assistant commissioner, Dr S S Madhukeshwar, therefore, has banned movement of heavy vehicles on this ghat road in view of considerable increase in traffic and problems which might be created if the ghat road here suffers landslides.
In the meantime, heavy vehicles were also allowed to move on Shiradi ghat road even as repair works and filling of potholes are in full swing. However, night traffic has been restricted because of fear of landslides. Because of haphazard parking of heavy vehicles near Gundya Circle, road block occurred there since Saturday night.
Chief minister, B S Yeddyurappa, is scheduled to visit the district today. After arriving at the airport at 11.30 am, he will be travelling to Beltangady and inspect areas devastated by floods. He will hold discussions with officials, people's representatives and locals at Dharmasthala at 2.30 pm about the flood and relief measures. He will go to Mysuru though the airport at 5.15 pm.
A Natural Disaster Response Force team which was to visit the city has cancelled its visit as the flood situation has showed improvement. The team had come by flight at the airport here on Saturday but had to return because of inclement weather.
Sea erosion situation has also improved with the dwindling intensity of rain. However, sea erosion continued in some areas in Kasargod district where 27 families were shifted to safer places.
During the 24-hour period ended 8.30 am on Sunday, Kammaradi received highest rainfall of 23 cm while Kollur got 15 cm. Moodbidri, Mangaluru and Puttur got 10 to 11 cm rainfall.