Torrential rains up to 30 cm lashed Karnataka’s coastal and south interior districts, causing landslides and disrupting normal life, officials said on Tuesday.
“Very heavy rainfall was received in the coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada, along with heavy downpours in Malnad (south interior) districts of Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Shivamogga,” an official from the Bengaluru division of India Meteorological Department (IMD) told IANS.
Parts of Udupi received rainfall measuring as high as 30.1 cm, Dakshina Kannada 16.1 cm, Uttara Kannada 18.5 cm, Shivamogga 16 cm, Kodagu 19.4 cm and Chikkamagaluru 13.2 cm.
Few regions of Hassan district in the south interior region of the state received rainfall up to 24.5cm, according to the IMD.
Due to the unabated rains, landslides were reported across several parts, obstructing vehicular traffic.
A landslide at Sakleshpur sub-district in the Western Ghats mountains has obstructed the vehicular movement on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route.
The traffic along the highway between Madikeri in the Western Ghats range in Kodagu district to Mangaluru was also blocked, officials said.
Several schools and colleges in low-lying areas remained shut on Tuesday.
The rain water from the reservoirs in the Cauvery basin, which have been filled to their maximum capacity, is being released to avoid collapsing of the dams.
“Over 60,000 cusecs of rain water is being released from Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoir across Cauvery river in Mandya district, and 40,000 cusecs from Kabini reservoir across Kabini in Mysuru district,” Director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) G.S. Srinivasa Reddy told IANS.
The released reservoir water, along with incessant rains, have been flooding farmlands in low-lying towns and villages in the Cauvery basin.
Last week, another 80,000 cusecs of water was released from Kabini reservoir and 59,000 cusecs from KRS reservoir, forcing the district administration to shift people living in low-lying areas to safety.
With the Arabian Sea being rough with winds along the coast, the IMD has asked the fishermen not to venture into the sea.
“Due to strong winds along the Karnataka coast, sea condition is likely to be rough in the southwest and central Arabian sea. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the waters,” an advisory from the IMD said.
Heavy rains are likely to continue for the next three days, Reddy added.
