Heavy rains pound DK, Udupi districts; auto driver falls into drain in Mangaluru, dies

Heavy downpour on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday exposed poor drainage system in Mangaluru as overflowing stormwater drains flooded the houses, shops and roads in the low-lying areas of the port
city.

An autorickshaw driver died after his vehicle slipped into an overflowing stormwater drain near Kottara Chowki. Deepak Acharya (42), a resident of Kuloor Ferry Road, is the deceased.

The overnight rain in Mulki town flooded the national highway affecting the traffic for hours. The Sri Durgaparameshwari temple in Bappanadu was flooded disrupting the morning puja and Devara Bali. Padupanambur and Mulki recorded a staggering 192 mm of rain while Kilpadi received 133.5 mm.

The sharp overnight rains affected normal life in the neighbouring Udupi district. Three two-wheelers were damaged after a portion of the compound wall of Board High School collapsed on them. Several houses were damaged in the rain, lightning and gusty winds in Udupi, Karkala and Brahmavara taluks.

The unrelenting thundershowers continued to wreak havoc on crops, houses and power infrastructure in the old Mysuru district, including Hassan and Kodagu. Acres of ginger, tobacco, and arecanut in Hassan and Chamarajanagar districts were damaged in the rain. A massive tree on the premises of Hoysaleswara temple in Halebid, a Unesco world heritage site, came crashing. The compound wall of the 12th century temple has
been damaged.

Incessant showers for the last few days have filled the water bodies in the parched Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davangere and Vijayanagar districts. Damages to crops and houses have been reported in all four districts. The Narihalla stream in Toranagallu has come alive. Good spells of pre-monsoon showers have spurred agricultural activities in the central districts.

Many parts of north Karnataka including Dharwad, Uttara Kannada and Belagavi districts, also witnessed moderate spells of rain.  

The weather department has predicted more rains with thunder, lightning and gusty winds for next six days in several districts in north and south interior Karnataka, Malnad and coastal districts.