Heavy rains lash coastal, south Karnataka
Bengaluru, Aug 11: Heavy rains of up to 15 cm lashed coastal and southern Karnataka, causing rivers to overflow and creating a flood-like situation in villages and towns in the region, said an official on Saturday.
"Heavy rains are being received in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi, along with south interior districts of Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Shivamogga," the Director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) G.S. Srinivasa Reddy told IANS here.
Dakshina Kannada received a maximum of 14.9 cm over the last 24 hours, Uttara Kannada 10.5 cm, Udupi district 7.8 cm, Shivamogga district 9.4 cm, and Kodagu 10.2 cm.
Schools and colleges in Dakshina Kannada remained shut on Saturday owing to the heavy rains, an official said.
Heavy rains are likely to continue in the region over the next three days, a weather advisory from the Bengaluru centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
With the state's reservoirs in the Cauvery basin being filled to their maximum capacity due to bountiful rains over the last two months, any additional rains are causing the rivers to overflow, Reddy said.
In the Cauvery basin, Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoir across Cauvery river in Mandya district, Kabini reservoir in Mysuru district across Kabini river, one of the major tributaries of Cauvery, have been filled to their full capacity.
"Due to excessive rains in Wayanad district in north Kerala, Kabini reservoir has received excess water which had to be released with the dam already being full," Reddy added.
About 80,000 cusecs of rain water was released from Kabini reservoir, and 59,000 cusecs from KRS reservoir since Friday, Mysuru district Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Shankar said.
"People in the low-lying areas in the nearby villages and towns of the reservoirs have been shifted to safe locations with the water being released. Police, fire services and other district officials are on duty day and night to assist people," Shankar told IANS.
The released water has flooded several farmlands and roads in the villages and towns of Mysuru district.
There were reports of several houses being submerged in the district and roads being damaged as a result of the water flow.
The IMD, while advising farmers to be prepared for heavy rains in coastal and south interior districts over the next few days, has asked fishermen not to venture into the Arabian Sea due to heavy winds along the Karnataka coast.
Northern Karnataka, which continues to face deficit rainfall, is likely to receive rains over the next few days, according to the weather office.
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Sonam Wangchuk justifies Ladakh agitation, says will join talks with Centre if needed
Kargil (PTI): Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday defended the agitation for statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, and said he would not back out from joining talks with the government if the need for it arises.
Addressing a press conference, Wangchuk, who was released on March 14 after nearly six months of detention under the National Security Act, called for "open-minded and sincere" negotiations and striking a middle path.
He also expressed hope that the ongoing protests would lead to a positive and amicable solution.
"The demand for safeguards under the Sixth Schedule and statehood is based on democratic rights entailed in the Constitution and is completely legitimate. I have always maintained that for the last 5-6 years, we have been engaged in discussions with the government on these issues, yet no solution has emerged. This is because the other side seems to have adopted a rigid stance," Wangchuk told reporters here.
He stressed that the negotiations should be held with an open mind, in all sincerity.
"Neither side should insist 'we alone will win and you will lose'. What is needed is a middle path, a win-win approach. This is what I personally believe and have conveyed to many people, including the (agitating) leaders: the negotiations should move forward gradually," he said.
Wangchuk said they were ready to adopt such an approach, but it should not be one-sided.
He said the protesters have conveyed this thinking to fair-minded people across the country, and cautioned that if the upcoming talks once again result in their concerns being overlooked and only the other side's position prevails, it would prompt questions on why a more accommodative approach -- like that adopted by Ladakh's leaders -- is not being followed.
The government has not yet announced the date for the next round of talks.
The Ladakh-based activist expressed hope that the ongoing protests would lead to a positive and amicable resolution, enabling them to move forward and partake in the country's progress and nation-building.
Asked about charges under the National Security Act (NSA) that were levelled against him, he said, "If a person like me, who has always worked for the country -- whether in education, environment, or improving facilities for the armed forces -- can face such allegations, then what might not be said about others, not just in Ladakh but elsewhere as well?"
The activist said he was disturbed by a video related to his arrest that he came across recently, questioning how such claims could be made, especially as the contents "appeared" to be backed by evidence.
"If the allegations are true, I did not deserve to be free. But if they are false, they must be clearly refuted," Wangchuk said, cautioning against making sweeping accusations about Ladakh, which has been a pillar of India's defence, especially Kargil, whose people have supported the armed forces in every war and made significant sacrifices in the 1999 Kargil War.
Making such allegations will only create distance among people, he said, adding, "If mistakes are being made, they should be corrected."
Referring to the Centre's order revoking NSA charges against him, he said it is clearly stated that this step is being taken to create a conducive environment, to build trust, and to enable meaningful dialogue.
"So, we are waiting for things to move in that direction," he said.
On the protesters' next course of action, he said the leadership will look into the issue, but it is hoped that the time ahead will not be for anything else but celebration.
"If there is any absolute need, we will discuss and decide what steps should be taken," he said.
On the possibility of him joining the team holding dialogue with the home ministry, Wangchuk said, "Whatever I do, I do it out of necessity. Where I am not needed, and others could do it, I always prefer that they should take the lead. But if there is a need, I will not back down."
VIDEO | Ladakh: Activist Sonam Wangchuk says, "... We need open-minded dialogue with Centre to find a win-win or middle path solution..."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 5, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/BwWQGx66I1
