Rain fury causes havoc in southern states

Monsoon Torrent Swollen Cauvery submerges many temples in Srirangapatna and booking counters in Ranganathittu. Flooding of rail tracks in Ernakulam leads to cancellation of 10 passenger train services 53 persons stranded in the middle of river Vamsadhara in Andhra Pradesh In Tamil Nadu, Hogenakkal falls overflows for the 7th consecutive day on Monday.

Six people were killed in Kerala, 53 workers were stranded on a river bed in Andhra Pradesh and a historical bridge washed away in Kollegal in Karnataka as heavy rain lashed the southern states on Monday.

With water being released from major dams in Karnataka, the level at the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur in Tamil Nadu touched 90 feet on Monday.

In Kollegal in Chamarajanagar district, a portion of the 200-year-old Lushington Bridge, also called the Ramaswamy Mudaliar Bridge across the River Cauvery near Sattegala was washed away due to the gushing waters.

It is said to be the oldest stone bridge connecting Kollegal and Shivanasamudra.

The swollen Cauvery river also submerged many temples in Srirangapatna and the booking counters in Ranganathittu.

In Kerala, heavy rain left its central districts battered, as the southwest monsoon remained active and weathermen forecast more rains till Friday. At least six people were reported dead in rain-related incidents in the state.

The KSRTC bus station in Ernakulam was inundated and flooding of rail tracks in the Ernakulam South station led to the cancellation of 10 passenger train services and rescheduling of five long-distance trains, including services to Chennai and Bengaluru.

In coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, there were heavy inflows into reservoirs after a low-pressure area hovering over neighbouring Odisha, triggered heavy rains. Dowleswaram in East Godavari district, Vamsadhara in Srikakulam, Kinnersani near Bhadradri, Tungabhadra in Kurnool and Kadem in Telangana are brimming with water.

As many as 53 persons, including 40 sand quarry workers, 10 truck drivers, three excavator operators and three shepherds were stranded along with their equipment and vehicles in the middle of river Vamsadhara since Sunday as water levels suddenly rose. On Monday, the district administration rescued the stranded workers.

In Tamil Nadu, Hogenakkal falls overflowed for the seventh consecutive day on Monday. With Stanley Reservoir fast filing up, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to open the gates of Mettur Dam on July 19 for ‘kuruvai’ (short-term) paddy cultivation.