Rain recedes in coastal districts, but no let-up in Kalyana Karnataka

Bengaluru: There was no respite from thunderstorms in Kalyana Karnataka districts where the road infrastructure, houses and crops were damaged due to unyielding rain and gusty winds in the last 24 hours (ending 8.30 am on Thursday). The coastal districts, however, had some respite from rain though with intermittent spells, but strong winds continued to batter farms.

Several villages were cut off after a bridge on the road that links Basavakalyan to Aurad and Shahajahani in Maharashtra, washed away due to an overflowing stream. Bidar district received heavy rain on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

The overnight showers and gusty winds damaged a lemon farm at Sundal village in Aurad taluk. Bidar city, Humnabad and Bhalki taluks also experienced heavy rain. Partapur in Basavakalyan taluk recorded 164 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, according to the weather department.

Kalaburagi city and several parts of the district continued to receive intermittent spells of moderate to heavy rain on Thursday. Hanumanthappa Metri (61), a farmer from Srichand village in Kamalapur taluk, was struck dead by a lightning bolt.

Koppal, Raichur and Yadgir districts were overcast but didn’t receive rain.

Sugarcane, paddy and maize crops on over 50 acres perished after rainwater inundated the farms due to substandard NH-67 works at Vaddarahalli and PK halli in Hosapete taluk. Parts of Vijayanagar district, including Kottur, Harapanahalli, received good rain, coupled with thunder and lightning.

The Almatti reservoir has clocked inflows in May third week itself. On Thursday, the dam received 1,722 cusec owing to copious rain in its catchment in the last one week

Parts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts witnessed spells of moderate rain, coupled with strong winds, on Thursday.