Karnataka: No escape from rain fury

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Locals along with NDRF personnel rescue villagers from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada and move them to safer places after heavy rain, in Mangaluru. Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. PTI Photo

River Tunga is in spate in Sringeri, Chikkamagaluru district.

Rainwater accumulated in a banana plantation in Koppa taluk of Chikkamagaluru district.

Eshapriya swami of Adamaru Mutt takes a stock of the situation at Krishna Mutt in Udupi

A view of the marooned Krishna Mutt in Udupi on Sunday. DH Photo/Umesh Marvalli

A waterlogged street in Udupi on Sunday. 

Even before the coastal districts and Kodagu recover from the devastating August floods and landslides, torrential rain returned with a renewed vigor in the region on Sunday.

Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts witnessed extremely heavy showers throughout the day, turning both the cities and many towns and villages into islands.

Udupi town and several parts of the district bore the maximum brunt. The district has been experiencing relentless rain since Saturday afternoon. Most of the villages in Udupi, Brahmavar and Kaup taluks have been cut off.

The NDRF teams, joined by the Indian Coast Guard personnel, firemen, police and locals, evacuated 2,874 people of 785 families from the affected villages to safety.

The flood situation in the temple town was precarious. The Udupi Krishna Mutt complex, Puttige Mutt, several residential layouts in Udupi and Shirva are marooned.

Many rivers and streams in the region, including Swarna, Seeta, Puttige stream. Madisaalu, Yennehole and Shambhavi, are in spate. Vast tracts of farmland have gone underwater. The National Highway 169 A, between Udupi and Shivamogga, was out of bounds for traffic for several
hours.

According to the weather department, Airodi in Udupi recorded a whopping 44.9 cm of rain in the last 24 hours. Udupi town saw 42.2 cm (422 mm) of rain, Brahmavar 35.2 cm, Kaup 33.6 cm and Karkala witnessed 25.4 cm.

Water supply to Udupi and surrounding areas have been hit after the Baje reservoir, the major of water for the temple town, filled to the brim.

The story of the neighbouring Dakshina Kannada was no different. The unrelenting showers have triggered landslides at several places and damaged over 25 houses in the district. Six people have been injured in rain-related incidents.

Heaps of mud caved in on railway tracks near Padil. However, the incident has not affected the rail service on the route, Palakkad rail division officials said.

The water level in Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Payaswini and Phalguni rivers has gone up considerably. Uttara Kannada witnessed low-intensity showers on Sunday.

Floods return to haunt Kodagu

With memories of the devastating floods of August still fresh in their minds, people of Kodagu woke up to yet another flood-like situation in the hilly district on Sunday.

Incessant showers have surged Cauvery and Lakshmanathirtha rivers and many rivulets and streams. Bhagamandala has been submerged for the third time this rainy season.

The swollen Cauvery river has brought traffic on Bhamandala-Ayyangeri and Madikeri-Bhagamandala roads to a standstill.

The overflowing Cauvery river has triggered flood fears in Guhya Nelliahudikeri, Karadigodu, Bettadakadu, Kumbaragundi, and Kushalnagar.

Heavy showers have wreaked havoc on coffee and areca nut plantations in Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts. Tunga, Bhadra and Hemavathi rivers have come alive following heavy rain in their catchment areas in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts.