HUBBALLI: The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard came to the aid of hundreds of stranded people in Uttara Kannada on Friday. During the day long operations men from both the services managed to airlift and sail people to safety.
A navy helicopter was pressed into service in Sunkasale near Ankola after 15 tourists were stranded in a partially submerged hotel. The stranded people were airlifted to the safe places by the Navy choppers. The Indian Coast Guard rescued 161 people from Khargejoog village, Unglijoog, Kharejoog and Bodojoog Islands.
Due to flooding in Aghanashini river near Kumta and Gangavali river near Ankola the villages including Divagi, Mirjan, Hegade and Kodkani faced fear of submergence. The rescue teams reached the stranded people and brought them to the safer zone. The flooding water from Gangavali river also halted traffic on Ankola-Hubballi highway.
"As water levels in Kali river are increasing, about 2 lakh cusecs of water was released from Kodasalli and Kadra dam in Uttara Kannada district on Friday. Rescue teams are put on high alert incase of emergency situations in the villages that are located downstream of these dams," said an official from the district administration.
"The Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and rescue operations were pressed into service at short notice. The Armed Forces are in constant touch with the civil administration of the affected state. The ICG Force remain ready to mitigate the impact of the incessant heavy rains, save lives and provide succour to the fellow citizens," stated a spokesperson from the ICG, Karnataka.
Two people were washed away in flooding rivers and two died in separate incidents reported in Uttara Kannada district in the last 24 hours. While a rescue boat capsized in Gangavali river where a man and a woman washed away. Search for their bodies was called off on Friday evening.
The incident was reported near Shirur village. Moru Gouda (65) and Gangadhar Gouda (36) were returning to the shore in the boat when the incident happened. In a similar incident, a woman was washed away after the boat she was travelling capsized in Honnavar. In Sirsir, a bike rider fell into a gushing stream and died.