Rise in water level in rivers maroon low lying areas in Dakshina Kannada

Mangaluru: Copious rainfall across Dakshina Kannada district resulted in inundation of low-lying areas in Belthangady, Bantwal, landslides on Mani- Mysuru road at Madyangala in Shekhamale near Puttur on Tuesday.

Landslide on Shekhamale damaged four electricity poles and the stretch of the road from Puttur to Sullia remained closed for a few hours. As a result, vehicles remained stranded on either side of the road.

By 3 pm, movement of vehicles was facilitated on one side of the road and clearing the mounds of soil continued till late evening. Several trees have been uprooted in various parts of the district. Water-level in river Nethravathi has reached 9.3 metres at Bantwal and is flowing above danger level.

As a result, low-lying areas on at Aladka, Bastipadpu in B C Road, Kotekani on Bantwal-Jakribettu road remained under water and the residents faced the threat of flood. Farmlands, paddy fields at Panemangaluru, Navoor, Sarapady, Maninalkur and other areas remained inundated. Water has entered the kitchen of Bhayankeshwara Temple in Panemangaluru.

Water had entered the yard of houses and arecanut plantations remained marooned at Allipade in Bantwal. With the rise in water level in river Netravathi, water had reached Ajilamogaru Sayyed Baba Fakruddin Juma Masjid and roads in Ajilamogaru were flooded.

Landslide at Pathrathota on Vittal- Kalladka stretch disrupted movement of vehicles. With Chelyadya bridge remaining under bridge at Bettampady in Puttur, water has entered arecanut plantations in the nearby areas.

Shops flooded

Shopkeepers were inconvenienced after water entered the shops at Olapete in Bantwal. Many were seen shifting the materials to the safer locations.

The landslide at Amtadi on B C Road-Polali road disrupted movement of vehicles. Mudslips have also been experienced on several locations on B C Road- Poonjalkatte stretch. Heaps of soil from mudslip has entered a farmland at Decchar in Maninalklur village. Water had reached till the road in Adamkudru on the outskirts of Mangaluru and people were using the boats to reach their houses and also to reach the anchored fishing boats.

River water has entered the national highway at Panjala in Uppinangady and vehicles waded through the flooded road.

Following heavy rainfall, Belthangady tahsildar had declared holiday for schools. Water logged roads at Ujire, Guruvayanakere inconvenienced the motorists.

Passengers alleged that incomplete work on the highway has aggravated the problem on Poonjalkatte-Charmadi road. With river Kumaradhara in spate, the bathing ghat on the banks of river Kumaradhara at Kukke Subrahmanya has remained flooded.

Red alert

Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre has warned people to be cautious in the sloppy areas that are likely to face landslides and cracks on the land. The IMD has sounded red alert in the district till August 1.

In the last 24 hours, DK disrict received an average of 111.4 mm rainfall. Mundaje received the highest of 199 mm rainfall followed by Patrame- 196 mm, Kalmanja- 177.5 mm, Balanja- 176.5 mm, Sarapadi- 171.5 mm, Laila- 151.5 mm.