BENGALURU: After a short breather, heavy rainfall has returned to parts of Karnataka, causing large-scale damage to life and property. Even as the state is still reeling from the aftermath of the floods in August and in 2019, rain-battered Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Belagavi districts.
The state had estimated the damage due to the August floods at over Rs 8,000 crore while the loss was put at more than Rs 35,000 crore last year. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, during his New Delhi visit last week, had sought additional funds under National Disaster Relief Funds citing consecutive floods in the state.
On Sunday, one person was killed and four others were injured due to heavy rains, landslide and flooding in Dakshina Kannada while 25 houses were damaged. Kodagu district is on orange alert till Monday following continuous downpour over the past four days.
Bhagamandala and Talacauvery received 6.88 inches (175 mm) rainfall in 24 hours till Sunday morning and Ayengeri Road was submerged. The water level in Cauvery is witnessing a gradual increase. Severe damage was also reported at coffee estates in Kodagu.
In Udupi district, 2,000 people from 700 families were rescued from floods caused by torrential rains. The situation forced the Udupi district administration to summon the NDRF from Mangaluru. Connectivity was cut off after the Neermarga-Katinja road on the outskirts of Mangaluru caved in.
A landslip on the bypass railway line between Konkan Railway network and South Western Railway network near Padil in Mangaluru affected movement between Konkan Railway and Hassan/ Mysuru/ Bengaluru. With heavy rains in the catchment, 65,000 cusecs of water was released from both Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar reservoirs on Sunday. People have been advised to move away from low-lying areas as the discharge is likely to be increased. Soya crop cultivated in many villages of Belagavi district was destroyed by heavy rains on Saturday and Sunday. As rainwater stagnated in the fields, farmers struggled to save their produce. SEE: P5