Rain throws normal life out of gear

Normal life was thrown out of gear in Kodagu, coastal and Malnad districts on Tuesday with there being no respite from unrelenting rain.

Rivers Cauvery and Lakshmanatheertha are flowing above the danger level in Kodagu district. Triveni Sangama in Bhagamandala has been submerged. Madikeri-Bhagamandala-Talacauvery road is cut off for the vehicular movement. Water has entered the premises of Bhagandeshwara Temple. With the rain lashing Brahmagiri, the entry to Talacauvery is prohibited. About 40,000 cusecs water was released from Harangi reservoir.

Heavy rain has wreaked extensive damage in Udupi. The roof tiles of a school in Karkala were blown away by gusty winds, damaging furniture and books in the classroom, More than 60 houses have partially collapsed in several villages. The movement of vehicles from Udupi to Shivamogga too has been affected. Six traditional boats and two purse seine boats anchored at Alvegadde in Shiroor washed away in water, thus incurring huge loss to the owners.

Shankar Poojary was washed away while crossing a stream at Airabailu in Siddapura of Udupi district. In another incident, Raghuram Shetty (54) drowned in a pond in Kollur.

Incessant rain pushed up water level in Rivers Nethravathi and Kumaradhara in Dakshina Kannada. Nethravathi is flowing above danger level in Uppinangady. The Hosamata bridge across Gundya stream continues to remain under water for the third consecutive day, thus affecting the vehicular movement on Kadaba-Uppinangady route.

Chikkamagaluru district received heavy rain. The overflowing Bhadra river blocked the road at Balehonnur, Kalasa and Kottigehara. The movement of vehicles on Koppa-Shivamogga come to a halt. As Gandhi Maidan in Sringeri Sharada Peeta was marooned, all the shops were shifted to safer areas. A bus from Mangaluru-Davangere via Shivamogga fell into a gorge at Kuradamane in Sringeri. All the32 passengers had a miraculous escape. The water from Tunga river has entered bathing ghat and Sandyavandane Mantapa of Sharada Peeta seer.

Following copious rains in catchment areas, 30,000 cusecs of water was released from 11 crest gates of Linganamakki dam on Tuesday.

Incessant rains that had been lashing malnad region for the past three days triggered flood-like situation in Thirthahalli, Hosanagara and Sagara taluks. Some houses at Seegehatti, Mandakkibhatti, Malleshwaranagara, Kumbaragundi, JPN school, Kanakadasa garden areas in Shivamogga were flooded as 90,000 cusecs of water was released from Tunga dam for the first time after a gap of many years.

Vehicular movement on the new bridge near KSRTC bus terminal in Bhadravathi has been suspended it due to discharge of 70,000 cusecs of water from Bhadra dam.

Uttara Kannada, Belagavi and Haveri districts have received heavy rain. Flood threat looms large on the banks of River Sharavathi following release of water from Linganamakki dam. A truck transporting cement bags fell into a stream following a bridge collapse.

Vast tracts of land, temples and houses were flooded in Srirangapatna taluk following release of around 1.40 lakh cusecs of water from KRS dam. With the rise in Cauvery level, entry of people has been banned to Ranganathittu bird sanctuary. Movement of vehicles has been prohibited on the historic Wellesley Bridge.

The Saibaba ashram on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, Eshwara, Hanuman temples at Paschima vahini were also partially submerged. Heavy rain lashed Sakleshpur, Alur and Arkalgud taluks in Hassan district. Parts of Mysuru city and districts received moderate to heavy rain.