Madikeri: Relentless rain with renewed vigour continued to lash across Kodagu district and the rainfall intensity has increased since Sunday night causing widespread damage to highways and main roads while interior mud roads are filled with slush, cutting off the connection. 

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Battalion that has been stationed in Kodagu has got into the act and is visiting various vulnerable areas. Though the rescue operations have not yet begun as no major landslides have been reported, the NDRF team is visiting areas, reassuring people that the team is all set for rescue in case of any eventuality.

Today morning the team camped at Madenadu on the Madikeri-Mangaluru Highway and Second Monnangeri where minor landslips have been reported.

The team also visited Chamundeshwari Nagar and Indira Nagar in Madikeri town where minor landslips had occurred. Even the other disaster response teams like the Fire and Emergency Services are ensuring smooth traffic movement and are clearing mud heaps and trees fallen on roads.

The Karnataka State Natural Disasters Monitoring Committee (KSNDMC) has declared an ‘Orange Alert’ in Kodagu. Meanwhile, the parents of little children are upset as the District Administration has not yet declared a holiday for schools despite rains and destruction.

Woman injured

A 70-year-old woman Vasanthamma was seriously injured when the wall of her house crashed at Sulugalale village in Shanivarasanthe this morning. The walls were built with bricks and mud and due to heavy downpour, the structure had weakened. Neighbours heard a loud sound and they rushed to rescue. After preliminary treatment at Shanivarsanthe  Hospital, she has been rushed to Hassan for advanced medical care.

A mudslide at Talathamane on the Madikeri-Mangaluru Highway  has affected the movement of vehicles and as the road is perpetually busy, vehicles are being allowed on only one side of the road. Several trees and electricity poles have been uprooted across the district and the power supply has been disrupted.

128 poles damaged

Last night, the entire Madikeri Taluk had plunged into darkness and power supply was restored today morning. Officials from CESC said that more than 10 electricity poles of 11KV trunk line have been damaged due to tree falls this morning at BBTC estate near Ghattadhalla and Badaga-Banangala in Siddapur.

In the last 48 hours, over 128 electricity poles have been damaged and as many as 352 poles and five transformers were damaged in Kodagu due to rains since June, said officials.  

The water level at Triveni Sangama in Bhagamandala has risen and the residents are severely inconvenienced to move to Madikeri, their nearest destination. Though a bridge is being constructed here, it is incomplete. Residents have to wade through knee-deep water to reach from one end to another.

A huge boulder rolled from a hillock on the Bhagamandala-Talacauvery road and workers from the PWD and Revenue Departments were slogging today to remove it. In the absence of an earth mover, the workers were trying to push the boulder with bare hands and with the help of stones and wooden logs.

The Napoklu-Bhagamandala and Madikeri-Bhagamandala Roads have been submerged at many places and the connection has been cut off. Vehicular movement has been banned.

24-hour rain data

Kodagu received 65.83 mm of rainfall for the 24-hour period ending 8.30 am today. On average, Madikeri taluk received 101.80 mm of rainfall, Virajpet taluk recorded 54.83 mm and Somwarpet taluk received 40.87 mm. Overall, in the last 24 hours period ending 8.30 am today, Madikeri taluk has received 407.2 mm, Virajpet taluk 329 mm and Somwarpet taluk has received 245 mm of rainfall.

At the hobli level, Bhagamandala and surrounding regions which constitute the catchment area of the Cauvery, received 122,6 mm, Madikeri kasaba recorded 62.8 mm while Sampaje received 144 mm and Napoklu recorded 77.8 mm of rainfall.

Virajpet kasaba received 66.4 mm, Hudikeri 89.2 mm, Srimangala received 55.0 mm, Ponnampet 53.0, Ammathi 29.0 and Balele received 36.4 mm. Somwarpet kasaba received 33.4 mm, Shanivarasanthe received 30 mm, Shanthalli 111 mm, Kodlipet 35mm, Kushalnagar 8.8 mm and Suntikoppa received 27 mm.

Driftwood floats in Haradoor River

Tonnes of driftwood that were brought down by landslides and flash floods are floating on the Haradoor River in Somwarpet Taluk. While huge tree trunks are pushed to roadsides, one side of the river and the submerged old bridge is filled with driftwood.

Local villagers are risking their lives in collecting the wood to use in their kitchens and bathrooms as firewood even as the authorities have warned them not to get into the water. Heavy rains in Somwarpet Taluk, especially in the Pushpagiri belt have made the receding water carry the wood downstream.

Along with the wood, tonnes of plastic waste also have accumulated, causing a nauseating smell. Villagers said that looking at the wood one could say that they are not fresh trees but the ones that were uprooted in previous floods and landslides. They have been observing this driftwood floating pattern for the last four years.