No respite in sight, heavy rain batters Karnataka; yellow alert issued

Heavy rain continued to batter Karnataka on Saturday throwing life out of gear.

Along with coastal and hilly districts, north Karnataka districts are also bearing the brunt of rain fury.

North Karnataka districts are facing the threat of floods. Capital Bengaluru woke up to a pleasant morning with cold breeze and drizzles.

Yellow Red alert has been issued for Saturday and Sunday in Kalaburagi district. Kalaburagi, a place known for soaring temperatures, has turned into a hill station. The District Commissioner of Kalaburagi has declared holiday for schools and colleges on Saturday. Yellow alert has also been issued for Belagavi and Bidar districts.

Rainfall in the Western Ghats has raised the water levels by 3 feet of the river Kali in Uttara Kannada district. The people of Dandeli town are worried as the water has started inundating residential areas in the outskirts already.

The inflow to 124.80 feet tall KRS dam has increased drastically. According to authorities, the dam is receiving inflow of 34,304 cusecs of water and out flow has been increased to 3.307 cusecs. The people living on the banks of the Cauvery river have been warned.

Varada, Kumudwathi, Tungabhadra rivers are flowing to the optimum levels due to rains in the state. The agencies have predicted heavy rainfall in the coastal district of Udupi and a red alert has been issued for Saturday.

Holiday has been declared in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts for schools and colleges. Orange alert has been issued in Chikkamaglur, Shivamogga, Kodagu and Hassan districts.

Incidents of landslides have been reported from coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi. The MKodagu district has also reported landslides and roads have developed cracks due to heavy rains. Major landslide has been reported from the Uttara Kannada district where the major landslide has brought movement of vehicles to a halt on National Highway 66, which connects Maharashtra and Goa states.

The landslide threat is looming large in multiple locations of the Uttara Kannada districts. The Sharavathi, Kaali, Aghanashini and Gangavali Rivers in the district are crossing dangerous levels.

A Spice Jet aircraft which reached Mangaluru at 9.30 p.m. on Friday from Dubai was diverted to Kochi due to heavy rainfall and extreme weather conditions. So far, heavy rain has claimed 12 lives in the state.

--IANS

mka/shb/