Karnataka rains highlights: Schools in Uttar Kannada closed; new landslips bury trucks, obstruct the movement of vehicles along NH 75

Hassan DC C. Sathyabhama has asked travellers using the Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway (NH 75) to take alternative routes as landslips that occurred at Doddathappale village in Heggade gram panchayat near Sakaleshpur.

In a press release issued late in the evening on Wednesday, the DC said there had been disruption to vehicular movement on the highway due to landslips. The travellers on the road could take alternative routes.

The officer also appealed to the public to contact the control rooms for emergency assistance at 08172-261111. Free helpline: 1077.

The Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district administrations have declared a holiday for educational institutions up to pre-university colleges on August 1 as the IMD has issued a red alert. 

A recent landslip has buried at least two container trucks and disrupted traffic on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75 near Doddathappale village in Sakleshpur taluk, Karnataka.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda held a meeting with Deputy Commissioners of Hassan and Dakshina Kannada on July 31 after inspecting the sites of landslips. 

He said it had been decided to keep the Shiradi Ghat stretch of NH 75 open for vehicles as it was an important corridor for the movement of commercial traffic, necessary for the supply of essential goods. 

He had instructed officers to deploy staff to keep a watch on the developments and take the decision to stop vehicles if there were any incidents of landslips immediately.

Rainfall subsided on July 31 in the catchment areas of the Krishna river in Maharashtra, Belagavi district and other areas, but the threat of flood remains.

Irrigation department officials increased outflow from Almatti to around 3.5 lakh cusecs or 30.24 tmcft by Wednesday afternoon. Lower riparian states have been alerted, officers said.

Officers increased the outflow from Malaprabha river to 12,000 cusecs to reduce chances of flooding in the backwater areas. Inflow into the river was around 21,200 cusecs.

The landslips in Wayanad, Kerala are a wake-up call for everyone, and what happened there can happen in any hilly area in the coming days, said Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda.

Speaking to mediapersons at Doddathappale village in Sakleshpur taluk on July 31, Mr. Byregowda said the Chief Minister had agreed to grant ₹100 crore this year and another ₹200 crore next year to take up work necessary to avoid landslips in vulnerable places.

The Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru, in its daily weather report for Karnataka on Wednesday has forecast that scattered heavy to very heavy with isolated extremely heavy rain is very likely to occur over Dakshina Kannada district.

It added that scattered heavy to very heavy rain and sustained wind speed (30-40 kmph) is very likely to occur over Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts.

While Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts are very likely to see isolated heavy to very heavy rain, Belagavi, and Kodagu districts are likely to receive isolated heavy rain. 

With the district receiving heavy rainfall, water is being released from five of the six reservoirs in Uttar Kannada district and a holiday was declared on Wednesday for schools and colleges in five of the twelve taluks in the district.

Among the reservoirs, the highest outflow is at Kadra dam where 47,999 cusecs are being released while inflow stood at 45,142 cusecs. In the last 24 hours, no major landslips have been reported in the district.

With the rains receding in Dakshina Kannada district and the authorities clearing Tuesday’s landslip debris on Mangaluru- Bengaluru National Highway 75 in Sakleshpur taluk, vehicular movement resumed on the highway on July 31, Wednesday.

However, with the threat of landslips looming large along all the highways connecting the coastal region with Bengaluru and surrounding regions, connectivity has become elusive as no one knows when landslips occur halting vehicular movement.

The coastal region has already lost rail connectivity since July 26 with landslips affecting the track between Yadakumari and Kadagaravalli stations on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road stretch of the Hassan-Mangaluru Railway line. The South Western Railway has undertaken massive restoration work while suspending train operations, both passenger and freight, indefinitely. 

Following the release of excess water from the Bhadra reservoir at Lakkavalli in Tarikere taluk, many localities of Bhadravathi town have been flooded. The bridge across the river was also submerged. 

The crest gates of the reservoir were opened to release water on Tuesday after the water level reached the maximum level. Ambedkar Nagar, Gundurao Shed, Kavalbandi Area, Gowligara Beedi and neighbouring areas have been flooded.

The taluk administration has opened a care centre at Vokkaligara Bhavan in the town. The flood-hit people have taken shelter in the care centre.

The water level at Linganmakki dam in Sagar taluk stands at 1,812.7 ft against the full reservoir level of 1,819 ft. Considering the inflow, the dam authorities are expected to release excess water from the gates on Thursday.

The inflow on Wednesday morning was 82,587 cusecs. The officials have already issued a warning to people in the downstream area. The police have deployed the staff with a public announcement system to appeal to the people living close to the river path to move to safer places and take care of their cattle as well.

There is a temporary reprieve from rains in Kodagu as of Wednesday morning but the district administration continues to be on alert with rescue teams deployed at places vulnerable to floods and inundation.

The rains on Tuesday were particularly heavy and 119 people were shifted or evacuated to safer places while the district experienced 12 incidents of landslips. In all, 166 houses have been damaged due to this year’s monsoon so far. Kodagu received 60.87 mm of rainfall for the 24-hour period ending 8.30 a.m. of July 31st against 114.8 mm of rain received during the previous 24 hours. 

Meanwhile, the district in-charge minister N.S. Boseraju will tour the flood-affected areas of Kodagu on July 31st and August 1st to take stock of the situation.

On the instructions of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Labour Minister Santosh Lad has left for flood-affected Wayanad.

The Chief Minister gave an instruction over the phone to join hands with the Kerala government to provide all necessary assistance including relief works and rescue of the victims in the flood-affected areas to help protect the lives and health of the people.

Minister Santosh Lad, who left for Wayanad on receiving the phone call, is currently in constant touch with the Chief Minister’s office of Kerala State.

The Chief Minister has instructed to take urgent and rapid measures for the rescue of Kannadigas caught in the disaster. All necessary steps are being taken in this regard, he said.

A truck carrying plywood sheets turned turtle near Doddathappale village in Sakaleshpur taluk on Tuesday night. 

The accident occurred as the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating the narrow stretch of the NH 75, between Sakaleshpur and Maranahalli, that saw multiple incidents of landslips. Riyaz, the driver, suffered minor injuries. 

Mansoor M, the owner of the truck, told The Hindu that the incident occurred due to the landslips. He was carrying 400 sheets of plywood to Bengaluru from Mangaluru. 

Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda will be visiting the rain-hit areas of Sakaleshpur today. He will visit Kollahalli near Sakaleshpur where landslips damaged the retaining wall of the highway.

Later he will visit Doddathappale village on the the Bengaluru-Mangaluru NH 75 stretch, where repeated incidents of landslips occurred.

The inflow to the Hemavathi reservoir at Gorur has been increasing, forcing the officers to increase the outflow to the river as well. As of Wednesday morning, the inflow was 61,273 cusecs and the outflow was 74,875 cusecs.

The officers have issued a warning to people in the downstream.