No let-up in rain as crops remain under water in north Karnataka districts

Heavy rains continued to lash many parts of north Karnataka districts for the third day on the trot on Wednesday with Bagalkot district bearing the maximum brunt in the last 24 hours.

Incessant showers and overflowing water bodies have submerged acres of paddy, cotton, groundnut, onion and tur crops in Kalyana and Kittur Karnataka districts.

A farmer from Varchagal in Bagalkot district was struck dead by lightning. Krishnappa Gudadannavar (30 was working at his farm when the incident occurred.

A 44-year-old man and his son died in a lightning strike at their farm at Piligunta Tanda of Sedam taluk in Kalaburagi district. Deceased are Tulachya Nayak and Avin (16).

Three farmers, including two women, suffered burns in a lightning strike at Julgudda in Lingasugur taluk of Raichur district. The injured Shankrappa Rampur (58), Eramma Shankrappa Rampur (50) and Mahadevi Raju (45) were rushed to the taluk hospital in Lingasugur. Five cattle died in lightning strikes in Shahapur taluk of Yadgir district.

The downpour, accompanied by thunder and lightning, that lashed Hungund for over two hours on Wednesday flooded the taluk hospital in the town, causing untold hardships for the patients and the staff. Rainwater gushed into the OPD, x-ray room, lab, blood bank and medical store inside the hospital.

The swollen Landkenahalla stream flooded the road near court affecting the traffic on Raichur-Belagavi state highway 20 for over half-an-hour. The overflowing stream also flooded the premises of the government central school in the town. Rainwater mixed with the sewage from overflowing drains gushed into houses in the low-lying areas, including Kumbar Oni and Dadmi Layout.

The historic Agasthyahonda (tank) breached on Wednesday following heavy rain in the last few days, flooding Menabasadi road, Nekara Oni and Kallipete road in Badami.

Kannuru in Vijayapura district recorded a whopping 14.8 cm of rain in the last 24 hours (ending 8 am on Wednesday).

The Hubballi-Dharwad twin cities experienced intermittent rain on Wednesday. Parts of Belagavi district, including Bailhongal, Gokak and Saundatti, received heavy showers in the day. The Belagavi-Bailhongal road was closed for traffic for an hour as a stream near Chivatagundi Cross overflowed.

More than 60 houses have been partially or completely damaged due to incessant rain in the twin districts of Vijayanagara-Ballari. The road connectivity between Mattihalli-Aladahalli in Harapanahalli taluk has been cut-off due to floods.

Down south, several parts of Kolar district, including the city, Mulbagal and Bangarpet, received heavy showers on Wednesday. Motorists had a tough time negotiating the flooded railway under bridge near Sir M V Stadium in Kolar.

The Doddabanagere lake in Sira taluk, Tumakuru district, has breached after four decades. The lake was brim for the last time in 1981. Villagers visited the lake in droves to catch a glimpse of the overflowing lake.