Rains continue wreak havoc in Malnad: Woman dies when wall of cowshed collapses
Chikmagaluru, July 10: The land of coffee has literally become the land of rains. Because of heavy rains, the normal life has gone haywire in Malnad.
Heavy downpour is wreaking havoc everywhere due to which a wall of cowshed which was in dilapidated condition collapsed on a woman killing her on the spot. Reports on collapse of houses, landslides, obstruction of vehicular movement were coming in from all corners of the district. Due to heavy rains, the major rivers like Hemavathi, Tunga, Bhadra and other small streams are overflowing above the danger level in the district. The rain which started on last Friday has been lashing out continuously since then. As a result, the normal life in malnad is paralysed. Mudigere, Koppa, Sringeri and NR Pura taluks in the district have been receiving heavy rains causing damage to private and public properties.
Because of the heavy downpour in Koppa taluk, a house belonging to Raghu was collapsed at Devaramane village in Hariharapura hobli in the taluk on Monday night. But no casualties were reported. It is said that the loss worth lakhs was occurred in the incident.
As the magnitude of the rain has increased Sringeri taluk, the Tunga river water submerged the agriculture fields on the bank of the river causing heavy loss. As Tunga river water marooned the Gandhi Maidan in the temple town, vehicular movement and parking was disturbed. The life of petty shop owners were greatly affected as the water gushed into the shops. The heavy rains created alarming situation as the river might cause flood at any time. So, the taluk administration has already shifted the people down the line to the safer places. Gandhi maidan was completely submerged in the rainwater. People opine that after 20 years, the town has been receiving such a heavy rains this time.
Woman dies in cowshed wall collapse
A woman died on the spot when the wall of cowshed which was in dilapidated condition collapsed on her at Kambihalli village near Mallandur in Chikmagalur taluk on Monday night. The woman was identified as Vanaja (48). When the woman was working in the cowshed, the wall collapsed on her killing her on the spot. With the death of Vanaja, the death toll increased to three in this rainy season in the district. Earlier, two farmers died in the rain-related incidents. One farmer Umesh swept away in Tunga river at Sringeri and another farmer Surendra fell into an agriculture pond and died.
Set-back to farming activities
As the district is receiving heavy downpour every day, the agriculture activities of coffee, areca and paddy witnessed a set-back. Now, the farmers are fearing of losing their areca crops due to fungal and yellow leaf disease. During this time, the areca trees should be sprayed pesticides. But because of heavy rains, the farmers are unable to take up the work. This might cause fungal disease for areca in Malnad region. In the same way, the rain affected the paddy and coffee cultivation as well.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
