Udupi situation grim as heavy rains batter Karnataka, rescue on

Disaster response force personnel began rescue operations on Sunday (September 20) after several parts of Karnataka were battered by heavy rainfall over the past few days, especially coastal Udupi district where houses and crops have been submerged.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted very heavy rainfall over a few places in Karnataka over the next few days.

“Widespread rainfall is very likely over coastal Karnataka on September 20 and 23, and Malnad districts like Shivamogga, Chikmagalur, Hassan and Kodagu. Heavy to very heavy rainfall likely over Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts,” said CS Patil of IMD, Bengaluru.

Officials in the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) said an alert for heavy rains has been issued for Malnad, coastal regions and a few interior and northern districts for the next couple of days.

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The second wave of southwest monsoon fury hit the state which is yet to recover fully from the floods in North Karnataka, Malnad and coastal regions last month amid the pandemic.

The situation in Udupi was grim as some villages have submerged, houses collapsed, roads washed away and standing crops completely destroyed, said a KSNDMC official. In Udupi’s district headquarter town, several houses and roads have come under sheets of water.

State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said he has directed the Udupi district authority to take relief measures immediately.

“I am aware of the floods in Udupi inundating a few villages. I have directed the district authorities to rush a 250-member team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) there. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will also reach there,” he said in a statement.

The minister said he would speak to Revenue Minister R Ashoka regarding requisitioning an Air Force helicopter for rescue work. According to a Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority officer, a helicopter has already been put on standby for rescue operations there.

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Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada are also bearing the brunt of the torrential rains along with Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Hassan for the past few days. In North Karnataka, rains have wreaked havoc in Vijayapura, Raichur, Kalaburagi and Bidar. Bengaluru, Mysuru and Tumakuru are also receiving heavy rains in the past few days.

According to the KSNDMC bulletin, heavy rains are likely in the next few days in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Koppal, Belagavi, Bagalkote, Gadag, Dharwad, Haveri and Ballari districts.

There would be widespread moderate to heavy rains at most places with isolated very heavy to extremely heavy rains in Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Hassan districts. Regarding coastal Karnataka, the bulletin said very heavy to extremely heavy rains will take place over Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts.

The latest rains come weeks after several parts of the state were lashed by heavy downpour and the relief works were still on.

The state government, earlier this month, had declared 130 taluks in 23 districts as flood affected. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had told a central team that visited the state to assess the damage that Karnataka has suffered a loss of ₹8,071 crore due to the floods.

The state government earlier this month said heavy rainfall since August 1 killed at least 20 people, displaced thousands, damaged more than 10,000 homes and crops in about 4.03 lakh hectares, and wrecked 14,182 km of roads.

(With inputs from agencies)