KSRTC terminates services, passengers stranded

As the road connectivity to places in Kodagu district has been cut off, people were inconvenienced since Thursday afternoon.

Service of KSRTC buses has been stopped on Madikeri and Virajpet routes in Kodagu district since Thursday afternoon, following landslides on the road around Suntikoppa town and Thithimathi Road. Bus services have been restricted only up to Kushalnagar town, said Mysuru Rural Division Controller Vasu.

He said that from 120 buses ply from Mysuru towards Kodagu daily. No bus service has been stalled, but, the trips are terminated at Kushalnagar on the Madikeri route and at Hunsur on the Virajpet route.

People bound for Madikeri, Somwarpet, Gonikoppa and Ponnampet from Bengaluru were stranded either in Mysuru or Kushalnagar. KSRTC officials said that once the roads are cleared and the Police department gives clearance, the services will be resumed.

As the road connectivity has been cut off, no vehicle can enter the district, beyond Kushalnagar until the debris on the roads are cleared. Drivers of some private vehicles tried to reach Madikeri via Harangi dam, but the police stopped them.

Meanwhile, the Mysuru-Nanjangud highway was closed for traffic on Friday, as 90,000 cusec of water is being released into the Kapila River. While 80,000 cusec is being released from the Kabini dam, it is 7,500 cusec from the Nugu dam and 2,500 cusec from the Taraka dam.

As there was four feet water on the Mysuru-Nanjangud highway on Friday morning, the district administration banned vehicular movement on the stretch. Passengers travelling to Ooty, Bandipur, Kozhikode, Salem, Sathyamangalam, Coimbatore and other places were affected. The vehicles were diverted via Basavanapura, Hebya and Kadakola to reach Mysuru.

The bridge connecting Suttur village was totally submerged. The people were seen travelling through Tayuru and T Narasipura, to reach the village. Srikanteshwara temple in Nanjangud and other temples have been inundated.

In H D Kote, around 80 people from 30 families have been shifted to gruel centres, under D B Kuppe Grama Panchayat limits on Friday. With 80,000 cusec of water released from Kabini and 2,500 cusec from Taraka dam, the people residing in the villages near the river are under anxiety, as there are possibilities of more water being released from the dams.

Many families were seen leaving the villages due to fear of flood. Itna, Belthuru, Koolya, Manchahalli, Karigala, Kanchamalli, Matakere, Boopanahalli and several villages near Saragur have relocated to safer places. A house collapses at Kodasige village near Hampapura.