BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be visiting rain-affected regions, especially coastal and Malnad districts, for two days starting from Tuesday. The CM’s decision comes in the wake of Orange alert (very heavy rainfall) issued by the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) for these regions for the next five days.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Bommai said he will undertake a survey of rain-affected districts of Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts and instruct officials to take appropriate relief measures. These regions are being lashed by heavy rain for the past 10 days.
The KSDMA has forecast ‘very heavy rainfall’ (Orange alert - 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm) till July 16 for Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga. This apart, ‘heavy rainfall’ (Yellow alert - 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm) has been forecast for north-interior regions including Haveri, Dharwad, Belagavi and Hassan Last week, the CM had convened a meeting with Deputy Commissioners through video-conference to take stock of the situation.
Shivamogga district received 137 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours and also reported partial damage to 37 houses and severe damage to three houses during this period. In Chikkamagaluru, the district administration issued notice imposing restrictions on tourists visiting Chandradrona hill range following unabated rain in the area. Reports from Mangaluru said heavy rain continued to wreak havoc in different parts of Dakshina Kannada district on Monday. Several houses on Tipu Road in Bantwal town are facing threat from a hillock that has become unstable following heavy downpour in the region.
Kodagu sees heavy rain
Heavy and continuous rainfall is also lashing Kodagu even as the district recorded 66.71 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours. Restoration work was in progress on a road at Agumbe Ghat in Udupi on Monday after the landslide that occurred on Sunday halted vehicular movement between Udupi and Shivamogga districts through this route. Heaps of soil on the road were removed by Monday evening.
Cauvery and Kapila rivers are in spate with heavy discharge of more than 72,000 cusecs of water from KRS and 38,000 cusecs from Kabini reservoir following heavy rain in Kodagu and Wayanad region. More landslides were reported from Uttara Kannada district leading to temporary closure of the state highway connecting Karwar with Belagavi and Dharwad districts. PWD Minister CC Patil visited Donigal on Shiradi Ghat of Bengaluru-Mangluru NH-75 where 50 m of the stretch was damaged due to a landslide.