Mangaluru: Heavy rainfall since Monday evening has severely impacted daily life in Dakshina Kannada. Following a red alert issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the district administration announced a holiday for schools and PU colleges on Wednesday.
Rising water levels in major rivers such as the Netravati and Kumaradhara have caused widespread flooding. By Tuesday evening, the Netravati River's water level had surged to 10 meters in Bantwal, exceeding the danger mark of 8.5 meters.
Transport on National Highway 75, which connects Mangaluru to Bengaluru via Shiradi Ghat, was disrupted due to a landslide in Hassan district. Additionally, a landslide was reported on Charmadi Ghat along National Highway 73. Although vehicle movement has resumed, restrictions are in place for heavy vehicles. A mudslide between Mani and Puttur also slowed traffic on National Highway 275, but the road was cleared by evening.
In several places, people in low-lying areas were relocated on Tuesday evening.
In response to the situation, Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao conducted a virtual meeting with officials to review the impact of the rains. He instructed the district administration to maintain high preparedness levels and ensure that quick response teams are on standby for emergencies, especially in flood-prone and sea erosion-prone areas.
Minister Gundu Rao emphasized the need for immediate action to clear debris on roads from landslides and to restore power in areas affected by fallen electricity poles. He stressed the importance of prioritizing public and livestock safety and advised that all officials should be stationed at the headquarters to monitor the situation closely. He also highlighted the necessity of coordinating with neighboring districts regarding national highway traffic conditions.
Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan provided updates on the rainfall situation, noting the presence of NDRF teams in Puttur and SDRF teams stationed in Subrahmanya and Mangaluru. Emergency relief funds of Rs 25,000 have been allocated for flood-prone gram panchayats and Rs 15,000 for other gram panchayats.
The DC said that oil companies have been instructed to establish emergency response teams at Gundya (in Dakshina Kannada) and Hassan to manage the tanker traffic on both sides of Shiradi Ghat.
