Rajat. R, Team Mangalorean
Pics Rajesh Shetty

MANGALORE July 30, 2010: It is not exaggerating to say “it was raining cats and dogs” in the present situation under the South West Monsoons, this writer will be pardoned if he used that cliché.  Udupi, and Mangalore are getting copious rains for the last three days and today (Friday) the rain gods opened a bit too widely plunging the land down in deluge. 

According to reports from Udupi it has been the worst scenario of rains in the last ten years. The flood waters entered many houses in Udyavar, Padubidri, Padukere, Kallianpur, Kunjalugiri and other places. The water has also entered into shrines, temples and shops making it difficult for the people.

One person died in Valpady village near Moodbidri. The dead person has been identified as Bidugu a woman of 40 years age when she fell into a storm water drain. She slipped into the water when she was going home. She became the first victim in the current rains. Her body has been recovered from the stream.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Udupi district Ms. P. Hemalatha the district administration has made arrangement to shift the people in three villages namely Kunjalugiri, Padukere and Udyavar to safer places as the floods may get worse in the next two days. Two Ganji Kendras have also been opened to aid the people who are displaced. Boats have been placed at vantage points along with the oarsmen. Help of local swimmers and homeguards have been taken.

Flooding has thrown normal life out of gear in Mangalore city, Buntwal town, Puttur, Udupi, Karkala, Moodbidri, According to district rain report  Mangalore got 159.1 mm on 30 July.

The special police outposts put up on the banks of the river banks have been asked to direct the devotees not to take religious dips in the river as it could spell disaster. The Netravathi river which runs alongside the Dharmasthala temple was swollen and the temple authorities had also advised the people not to go to the river.

The Kumaradhara river was in a spate and submerged the Subramanya - Hosmat road that leads to Subramanya town. It had been overflowing since Thursday night and as a consequence the devotees coming from Bangalore had to wait for the bridge to clear and resurface. The police persons at Gundya have warned the motorists to take an alternative road through Uppinangady in order to avoid the flooded roads.

But in Udupi district, people are having a hard time as the eight rivers in Udupi have swelled up as well and flooded above the danger level.  In a place called Udayavar, nearly 500 to 600 houses were under four feet of flood water and all the drinking water was contaminated. The similar situations were to be found in Mangalore city as well.

Whereas in Mangalore, many of the low lying areas have been flooded. Maroli, Malemar, Kanchady, Ashoknagar, Dambel and as usual Kottara was affected badly. As a precautionary measure, the schools and colleges have announced holidays.

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