MANGALURU: Netravathi and Kumaradhara rivers flooded in several places of Dakshina Kannada district following vigorous monsoon in the region for the last few days.
Netravathi river flowed above the danger level of 29.0 meters at Uppinangady on Thursday morning as a result of which the district administration moved the people living in low-lying areas of Panemangalore and other places downstream to safer places.
The district received 100.09 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday. Belthangady taluk received the highest 134.8 mm while Kadaba taluk received 104.1 mm.
Laila, Malenthabettu, Balanja, Kalmanja, Patrame, Mundaje, Malavanthige, Ujire and Arasinamakki in Belthangady taluk received more than 139 mm rainfall. In the last week, the district received 433 mm rainfall against the normal rainfall of 289 mm rainfall.
The heavy rains in the catchment area also filled the AMR Dam and Thumbe Dam in Bantwal taluk which supplies water to Mangaluru and surrounding areas. As a result, 30 gates of Thumbe Dam were kept open. The downpour damaged nine houses and 129 electric poles in the district on Wednesday.
The water level rose to 20 meters at Sri Sahasralingeshwara Temple in Uppinangady where the Sangam of Netravati and Kumaradhara is situated. The temple will turn into an island if the water level increases to 31.5 meters.
Several houses, a playground of a private school and areca nut and coconut plantations at Aladka near Panemangalore were inundated due to the rise in the water level in the river. The district administration banned the movement of heavy vehicles on a 40-year-old bridge at Karnuru Kotigadde in Puttur taluk as it was found to be weak.
Meanwhile, the traffic on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru highway (NH-75) was diverted via Madikeri and Mysuru after a landslide in Shiradi Ghat. Several KSRTC and private buses that got struck in the traffic jam in the ghat section reached their destination several hours late. Dakshina Kannada police erected barricades at Mani to divert the traffic on Mysuru road.
Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Venkat Raja has issued an order banning night traffic on NH-275 from 8 pm to 6 am from July 18 to 22 due to a possible landslide at Karthoji between Madikeri and Sampaje.
However, the emergency vehicles and those of officials involved in disaster management have been exempted from the night ban. The DC has advised the vehicles moving towards Bengaluru and Mysuru to use the Charmadi Ghat route.