Normal life disrupted in parts of coastal Karnataka due to torrential rain
Mangaluru /Udupi/Sirsi(PTI): Normal life was disrupted in the coastal and Western Ghats districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada following heavy to very heavy and incessant rains over the past few days, officials said.
Uttara Kannada district Collector K Lakshmipriya said there was heavy rain in the coastal parts of the district on Monday and 313 people had taken shelter in eight care centres opened in Honnavar Taluk and they were provided with basic facilities.
As a result of the 'excess rain,' many low-lying areas in the undivided Dakshina Kannada (including Udupi) were flooded. However, on Monday there were no incidents of flooding inside Mangaluru city, but inundation was reported in lower parts of Bantwal town situated near the riverfront.
Officials at Karnataka State Natural Disasters Monitoring Centre (KSNMDC) said they were closely monitoring this area and that a rescue team was on standby.
Meanwhile, in Uttara Kannada, 10,600 cusecs water was released from the four gates of the Kadra reservoir of Kali river on Monday, as the water level crossed the danger threshold.
Incidentally, when 6,000 cusecs of water was released on Saturday, to relieve pressure off the overflowing Kali river, downstream villages of Kadra dam, Kadra, Mallapur, Kerodi, Baira Balani, Karga, Ulag and Halaga were affected.
Areas that witnessed torrential rains in Uttara Kannada on Monday were Sirsi, Siddapur and Yellapur, as well as parts of Malnad (ghats) area of Uttara Kannada. Many houses were flooded in Kadatoka area of Honnavar taluk and a team from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had to be deployed to rescue villagers.
As rain water entered houses at many places in Udupi, people had to be rescued by firefighters in rubber dinghies. The worst affected areas were in Kalsanka, Bailakere, Mathadabettu, Gundibail, Padigaru and Sagri. Firefighters used rubber dinghies to ferry women, children and elderly persons to safety.
In Uttara Kannada, Colonel Hill in Honnavar, a hillock on which one of the area's famous monuments, a British era column, stands, collapsed at places on National Highway 66.
With heavy rainfall expected according to the Met department, the administration of both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts issued an orange alert in their respective jurisdictions until July 11.
An orange alert means very heavy rainfall of 11 cm to 20 cm.
All three districts (Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada) declared a holiday for schools and PU colleges on Monday.
A holiday has been declared by the authorities in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi for schools and PU colleges on Tuesday also.
Meanwhile, Uttara Kannada MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri on Monday visited affected areas in Shashihital and Gunda village and Bhaskeri of Kumta constituency as well as care centres in Honnavar taluk and met the affected people.
Karwar MLA Satish Sail offered 'bagina' (an offering to rivers in spate, a tradition followed in Karnataka) to Kadra reservoir on Monday.
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Mangaluru: With the recent renaming of Ramanagara as Bengaluru South and growing calls to rename Tumakuru as Bengaluru North, a similar push is now underway in coastal Karnataka.
The Dakshina Kannada district administration is preparing to submit a proposal to the Karnataka government to rename the district as Mangaluru, The New Indian Express quoted Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan as saying.
The decision to put forth a proposal was initiated during the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting, after Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja urged the administration to pass a resolution in favour of the name change. MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta and other stakeholders backed the suggestion, with officials reportedly stating that the proposal would be forwarded to the government shortly.
Supporters of the move argue that “Dakshina Kannada” lacks recognition beyond the state, while “Mangaluru” enjoys wider visibility as a centre for education, healthcare, banking, and industry, both nationally and internationally.
Meanwhile, Dayanand Kathalsar, of the Mangaluru District Tulu Movement Committee and former chairman of the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, also demanded the renaming. "Though we are freed from the rule of the Portuguese and the British, names like 'South Canara' or the Dakshina Kannada given during their period are still used, which need to be changed," TNIE quoted him as saying.
KPCC general secretary Rakshit Shivaram also voiced support for the renaming. Drawing parallels to the "Brand Bengaluru" initiative launched during S.M. Krishna’s tenure as chief minister, he said a similar push is needed for "Brand Mangaluru." He stated that they will soon meet the chief minister, deputy chief minister, home minister, and district in-charge minister to submit a memorandum.
“The present name is 'Dakshina Kannada' but we are not in the southern part of the state, instead we are in the Western part of the state. The highways, airport, port and the railway stations here are named after Mangaluru, hence, the district should also get the same name," he added.
