Karnataka: Heavy rain hits normal life on coast; red alert issued

Bengaluru: Heavy showers continued to lash the state’s coastal districts with Mangaluru and parts of Dakshina Kannada bearing the maximum brunt on Saturday evening. With the India Meteorological Department predicting torrential rain for the coast on Sunday, a red alert has been sounded in all three coastal districts.

The weather department has forecast heavy rain for Belagavi, Dharwad, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts, where an orange alert has been sounded for Sunday.

A heavy downpour on Saturday evening disrupted normal life in Mangaluru city.  The downpour turned the main thoroughfares in the city into canals, severely affecting traffic for over three hours.

The skies opened up at 2.30 pm in the port city and after a few intermittent spells, it rained heavily, leaving the city waterlogged. Rainwater gushed into homes at low-lying areas, including Jeppinamogaru, Subhash Nagar, Attavar KMC, Kadri and Kodialguthu.

The cellars and parking areas of several apartments across the city were flooded. The flooding of the rail underbridge on Mangaluru-Bengaluru highway near Padil affected traffic. Motorists had a tough time negotiating the flooded roads at Pumpwell Circle, Thokkottu, Talapady, Balmath, Nanturu.

Rail commuters had a tough time wading through the knee-deep floodwaters at central railway station. Rescue workers moved the residents stranded in flooded homes to safety at Kodialguthu. A total of 14 affected families have been shifted to a gruel centre opened up by the city corporation

The city received close to 100 mm of rain in three to fours in the evening. Many parts of the district also witnessed sharp showers in the evening.

Udupi town and parts of the district, including Karkala, Byndoor, Kundapur and Brahmavar taluks, witnessed intermittent spells of moderate to heavy showers on Saturday. The showers left the parking lot of Krishna Mutt and Bannanje flooded. Motorists had a hard time wading through the flooded roads at Karavali bypass and Ambalpadi bypass.

A landslide near Alakod village on Kumta-Sirsi highway affected vehicular movement on Friday night. The Sirsi taluk administration, along with the highway contractors, removed the debris and cleared the road for traffic on Saturday morning.

After intermittent spells of light showers for the last two days, heavy rains lashed Kodagu district on Saturday. Harangi reservoir has been clocking copious inflows. On Saturday, 4,000 cusec was released downstream prompting the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama to issue flood alert on the banks of the river.

Parts of Chikkamagaluru district, including Koppa, Kalasa, Mudigere and Kottigehara, also witnessed spells of heavy rain on Saturday afternoon. A mudslip was reported near Kavikal Gundi.

Up north, several districts in Kalyana Karnataka and Mumbai Karnataka witnessed intermittent drizzling.