Flood Scare In Karnataka Amid Heavy Rain, Schools, Colleges Shut In 9 Districts

The active southwest monsoon has created a flood scare in Karnataka with many small streams overflowing.

In the wake of heavy rainfall, authorities today announced a holiday for schools and colleges in nine districts - Belagavi, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Hassan, Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, and Kodagu, official sources said.

The Meteorological Department has sounded a red alert in all three coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada.

The department said that electricity will be disrupted temporarily in some areas, and might lead to minor traffic snarls and damages to 'kaccha' and unsecured structures.

An orange alert has been announced for Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, and Shivamogga, while Belagavi, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, and Hassan are on a yellow alert.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 and 11 cm.

With rivers and rivulets in spate, many waterfalls have come alive, attracting tourists.

A 23-year-old man, Sharath Kumar from the Shivamogga district, recording videos for social media at the Arishinagundi waterfall in the Udupi district, was swept away as he stood on a rock at the edge of the waterfall. Search operations are underway to trace him.

As heavy rains continued to lash different parts of the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi, water-level in many rivers in the region kept rising in the last two days, submerging low-lying areas.

Water levels in Nethravati, Phalguni, and rivulets in many parts of the DK district are posing a threat to people living near the river banks. A few families have been shifted to safer places in Bantwal taluk, official sources said.

A large area of areca nut plantations has also been submerged in the taluk in a major concern for the farmers.

The bathing ghat of Kukke Subrahmanya temple has been submerged with the level of the Kumaradhara river rising to the danger mark. Devotees have been asked not to visit the shrine until the rain subsides.

The Manjeshwar-Subrahmanya state highway remains flooded, disrupting the movement of vehicles on the route. Copious rains have also been reported from Addahole, Kollamogru, Subramanya, and Bisile in DK.

Sources said a landslide that occurred on a hill in the Karvalu area of the Udupi district is posing a threat to a high-tension electricity tower that carries a 110 KV KPTCL overhead line.

However, officials said necessary precautions have been taken. If the tower gets damaged, there are chances of the power supply being affected in areas, including in Manipal, Brahmavar, Kunjibettu, and Udyavar. 

As a precaution, the old line of Manipal-Hiriadka has been activated and installation is in progress from Sunday, officials said.