Karnataka: Landslides, flash floods leave coastal districts on the edge

Mangaluru/Bengaluru: The landslides and flash floods triggered by incessant rain have left the coastal district on the edge. Multiple landslides in the region have hit the road and rail traffic on Sunday.

Mounds of mud and boulders on the railway tracks between Padil and Jokatte near Mangaluru city on late Saturday night affected the rail service. The Palakkad division of Southern Railway announced on its X account on Sunday that the trains running on the route will be delayed till the debris on the tracks are cleared.

The traffic on Mangaluru-Moodbidri state highway 169 was hit badly after huge boulders and heaps of mud rolled down the hill onto the highway at Kettikal near Vamanjoor on Saturday night. The highway was reopened to one-way traffic on Sunday.

A retaining wall came crashing on a compound wall of a house on Suvarna Lane at Kankanady in Mangaluru city. The impact was such that it shattered the compound wall of the house along with the gate. The debris of the retaining wall also hit a transformer nearby triggering sparks and explosions. However, no casualties were reported in the incident. The CCTV footage of the wall collapse has gone viral on social media.

A few families have been moved to safety following mudslips near their houses at Shivbagh and Naguri residential areas. Pudu in Bantwal taluk experienced 189 mm of rain, highest in the state in the last 24 hours. As many as 34 places in Dakshina Kannada district witnessed over 100 mm of rain.

Heavy rains lashed many places in Udupi district intermittently. The showers flooded Udupi town, Brahmavar, Gundibail, Kalsanka, Ambagilu, Kolalagiri, and KG Road, causing hardships to the commuters. Service roads alongside National Highway 66 also experienced flooding. Villages like Heroor, Haladi, Kumbashi, Thekkatte, and adjoining places in Kundapur taluk also experienced heavy flooding, according to district administration.

Sirsi-Kumta higway closed

Unyielding showers, coupled with gusty winds, lashed Uttara Kannada district for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday. Several incidents of tree fall and house damage have been reported in the coastal areas of the district.

Vehicular movement on newly laid Sirsi-Kumta national highway in Uttara Kannada was hit following a landslide at Devimane Ghat in Kumta taluk.

Several villages in Sringeri taluk, Chikkamagaluru district, were cut off for several hours after mounds of mud collapsed on Sunkada Makki-Nemmar highway. The SK border-Karkala road was also closed for traffic for several hours on Sunday.

Harangi reservoir swells

Kodagu district witnessed intermittent spells of heavy rain throughout the day, Bhagamandala has received 130 mm of rain in the last 24 hours (ending 8.30 am on Sunday). Harangi reservoir continued to clock good inflows. The dam is just 8 feet away from reaching its full reservoir level.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert on Monday, forecasting thunderstorms with lightning in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu districts.

Up north, the Belagavi-Chorla highway (a major road link between Belagavi and Goa) has been closed for traffic after a bridge over the swollen Malaprabha river was washed away near Kusamali in Khanapur taluk. The Goa and Belagavi bound vehicles are diverted to Bailooru Cross-Habbanahatti-Jamboti route. Several villages on forest fringes in Khanapur taluk have been cut off following unrelenting showers for the last few days.

Holiday declared for schools in C’magaluru dist

In view of heavy rain forecast for Chikkamagaluru district Deputy Commissioner Meena Nagaraj has declared holiday for anganwadis primary and high schools in six taluks - Chikkamagaluru Mudigere Kalasa Sringeri Koppa and NR Pura - on Monday. The district has been receiving unyielding showers for the past three days.