Schools, PUC Colleges Shut In Dakshina Kannada, Udupi Amid Cyclone Fengal Alert
Mangaluru: A holiday has been declared for schools and PUC colleges in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on December 3 due to heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Fengal.
The two districts are experiencing heavy rainfall, and the intensity is likely to increase as the IMD has issued an orange alert for Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Dec 3. In response to this alert, the district administrations of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have declared a holiday for all schools and pre-university colleges on Dec 3.
In Udupi, Deputy Commissioner Dr. K. Vidya Kumari stated that the holiday does not extend to degree, postgraduate, diploma, engineering, and ITI courses. However, college authorities have been instructed not to enforce attendance. Students needing to cross rivers or water bodies have been advised to stay home, and educational institutions have been directed to avoid conducting classes in structurally weak buildings.
She instructed officials and local disaster management committee members to be on alert at their headquarters. The DC advised the public and fishermen to avoid rivers, water bodies, and the sea. Residents near weak structures or in flood-prone areas have been urged to relocate to safer locations or designated relief centers.
Missed classes can be compensated on Saturday afternoons or Sundays.
The Dakshina Kannada district administration has issued safety guidelines, urging the public and tourists to avoid seashores, river banks, and low-lying areas. Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea, with those already at sea instructed to return to shore.
Assembly Speaker and Mangaluru MLA UT Khader directed the district officials to take precautionary measures. He directed that NDRF and other teams remain on standby and urged local body representatives and officials to assist the public actively.
Dakshina Kannada DC Mullai Muhilan MP directed officials to prioritize public and livestock safety, mandating Gram Panchayats and urban local bodies to implement monsoon-related safety protocols immediately. Tahsildars have been tasked with overseeing these measures and submitting timely reports.
