Mangaluru: Rain maroons villages in Sullia taluk

MANGALURU/ KARWAR: Incessant rain due to a shear zone over south peninsular India, has caused unending misery for residents of villages lying at the foothills of the Western Ghats, from Dakshina Kannada to Uttara Kannada, from Monday night. The rain resulted in a landslide, causing the death of six persons, two in Dakshina Kannada and four in Uttara Kannada. IMD has issued a red alert for the coast till Friday.
According to the Dakshina Kannada district administration, which declared a holiday for all schools, anganwadis and colleges in Sullia and Kadaba taluks on Tuesday and extended it to Wednesday, the situation was bad in many villages in Sullia and Kadaba taluks. “Heavy downpour in the last 24 hours has caused many villages to get marooned, as they are surrounded by water. Though the rain has reduced, many roads and bridges are inundated, because of swollen streams,” said deputy commissioner K V Rajendra. The ferocity of the rain was such, that Kukke Subrahmanya and Sampaje in Sullia taluk recorded 283 mm and 140 mm of rainfall, respectively, in the last 24 hours, till 8.30am on Tuesday.
Two girls, Shruti,11, and Gnanashri,8, were buried alive after a landslide flattened the house of Karimajalu Kushalappa at Parvathamukhi in Subrahmanya on Monday evening. Though the officials pressed excavators into service, by the time they reached the victims, they were dead. The bodies have been retrieved. There were five persons in the house, and three escaped before the hillock caved in on the house, as they heard the rumbling, but the children got trapped. The incessant rain caused the Adi Subrahmanya temple in Sullia taluk to get inundated, a phenomenon locals say, happened for the first time in decades. The devotees who had arrived at Kukke Subrahmanya for Nagara Panchami, had to endure hardship, due to the road network being cut off due to rainwater flowing over bridges and roads.
On Monday, district minister V Sunil Kumar said that Subrahmanya, Kalmakaru, Kollamogru, Harihara, Balugodu and surrounding villages in the district have been witnessing heavy rain, and they have turned into islands. Hence, as a precautionary measure, teams of the State Disaster Management Force (SDRF) and the Central DRF, have been sent to those villages. Officials have been directed to be alert, and take necessary measures. Devotees to the Kukke temple should postpone their visit for two more days, and they may visit once again, after the rain recedes, the minister said. Many schoolchildren were stranded in buses at Harihara Junction near Subrahmanya, due to road connectivity being cut off due to swollen rivers, caused by rain. Reports said the children spent the night in the buses itself, with rain pouring in the area.
Bhatkal bears the brunt
The highest rainfall in the state was recorded in nine locations of Uttara Kannada district, which are all in Bhatkal taluk, with the maximum being 533 mm in Muttalli, Bhatkal taluk, and the least being 222mm of rainfall, at Mavalli, also in Bhatkal taluk. In Udupi, 12 locations received heavy rain, with Shirur in Kundapur taluk recording 477mm and Haladi recording 131mm of rainfall, respectively. In Dakshina Kannada, only two locations received heavy rain.
At Muttalli village in Bhatkal taluk, Lakshmi Narayan Naik,58, her daughter Lakshmi,33, Son Anant,32, and nephew Praveen,20, were killed when a hillock caved in on their house. The bodies have been retrieved. Bhatkal reported 320 mm of rain on Tuesday. A cloud burst is reported to have taken place akin to the 2009 incident in Karwar, where 15 people were killed in a landslide. Labour minister Shivaram Hebbar visited the spot, and assured compensation to the affected family. Karwar recorded the second highest rain on Tuesday. Karwar recorded 112.6 mm of rain.
National Highway-66 was blocked at Shirali due to rain, and the Bhatkal town bore the brunt, with rainwater entering houses in many places, causing heavy damage. The SDRF, police and fire officials shifted people from Shirali, Kaikini, Mundalli, Muttalli, Binger and other villages which are marooned. The district administration has opened care centres to shelter those affected, in schools and marriage halls. A control room has been opened at Bhatkal, to coordinate efforts, and people can call 08385-226422 or 1077, in case of emergency. A holiday was declared for all educational institutions in Bhatkal taluk, and senior officials rushed to Bhatkal taluk from Karwar, to coordinate the rescue operation.