Heavy rains lash many parts of Karnataka, allaying fear of drought
Bengaluru, Jul 23: Heavy downpour over the past two days in many parts of Karnataka, especially the coastal and southern region, brought hopes of a good harvest for farmers staring at a drought-like situation due to inadequate rains in the last two months.
According to Meteorological Department, there were heavy rains as southwest monsoon was active over the state and rainfall occurred at most places over coastal Karnataka, south interior region and at many places over northern areas.
There was very heavy rainfall in several parts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Udupi and Kodagu districts.
Heavy rains, accompanied by high-velocity winds, continued to lash several parts of the twin coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi on Sunday.
With the monsoon intensifying in the coast once again, several trees were uprooted in the two districts damaging houses and electric poles since Saturday, officials said.
In Mangaluru, some houses were damaged when a huge tree got uprooted on the campus of the zilla panchayat office in Kottara. A man sustained a head injury during the incident. Several trees fell in Daddalkad, Urwa and Pakkaladka in the city.
The water level in Nethravati river has risen steadily since Sunday morning, touching the danger mark. With this, the low-lying areas have been flooded with river water.
Water also entered a school playground and caused huge losses to arecanut growers following destruction of standing crops.
Officials directed the people in flood-affected areas to shift themselves to safer places. They also visited the rehabilitation centres set up at Panemangaluru.
Vehicular movement was affected on the Mani-Mysuru highway after a tree fell on the road at Neralakatte, while an uprooted tree at Lorettopadavu in Bantwal taluk disrupted traffic in the area.
A huge mango tree fell on the Katapadi-Shirva state highway near the weekly market area, leading to traffic disruption. Two bikes were damaged and one person was injured in the incident.
With Kumaradhara river in spate, the Dakshina Kannada district administration has urged devotees not to visit Kukke Subrahmanya temple for now as the river banks are submerged in floodwaters.
Fire and Rescue service personnel and Mangalore Electricity Company (MESCOM) staff have cleared roads and restored power supply at affected areas with the help of local people.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall till Monday.
The Department said there were 'extremely heavy rainfall' in Castle Rock in Uttara Kannada district; Bhagamandala in Kodagu district, which is the origin and major catchment area of river Cauvery; Udupi district; and Mulki in Dakshina Kannada district.
Bengaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Haveri, Hassan, Dharwad, Davangere, Chamarajanagar, Gadag, Raichur, Mysuru, Bagalkote, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Mandya, Chikkaballapura and Vijayapura received good rains.
The Department said rain is very likely to occur at most places over the state in the next 48 hours and heavy to very heavy showers are likely to occur at isolated places over all the districts of coastal Karnataka and over Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Shivamogga districts in southern region.
"Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal, Yadgir districts of North Interior Karnataka and over Hassan and Ballari districts of South Interior Karnataka," the Meteorological Department said in its statement.
It further said that in the next 48 hours "heavy to very heavy rain" is likely to occur at isolated places in all the districts of coastal Karnataka.
Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Belagavi district of north interior Karnataka and over Chikkamagaluru, Kolar, Kodagu, Shivamogga, Hassan districts of south interior Karnataka, the forecast read.
The Department has also advised fishermen not to venture into the sea as squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-45 Kmph gusting to 55 kmph is likely to prevail over Karnataka coast.
Orange alert has been sounded in the coastal districts as well as Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Shivamogga, while Hassan, Ballari, Yadgir, Koppal, Haveri, Gadag, Dharwad and Belagavi have been put on yellow alert.
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Indian-origin councilman among several people charged with racketeering, gambling offences in US
New York, Apr 12 (PTI): An Indian-origin councilman is among several people charged in the US with racketeering, money laundering, and other crimes for allegedly playing a role in an illegal gambling scheme that netted more than USD 3 million.
Anand Shah, 42, Prospect Park, New Jersey council member and local business owner was identified as allegedly managing illegal poker games and an online sportsbook in association with the Lucchese crime family, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement Friday.
Shah is among 39 people who have been charged with racketeering, gambling offences, money laundering, and other crimes after law enforcement executed search warrants at 12 locations throughout North Jersey earlier this week.
Among those charged is Indian-origin Samir Nadkarni, 48, of Longwood, Florida, a sportsbook sub-agent/poker host.
Following a two-year investigation into illegal gambling activities tied to the Lucchese crime family, searches were conducted on April 9 on four poker clubs located in Totowa, Garfield, and Woodland Park, including two clubs where backroom poker games were hidden behind functioning restaurants; a business in Paterson storing gambling machines; and seven residences of individuals alleged to be managing the gambling activities.
The investigation uncovered additional poker clubs, the involvement of dozens of individuals alleged to have hosted poker games and worked at the poker clubs, and managed bettors on an illegal online sportsbook.
Authorities said that the upper management of the gambling enterprise allegedly oversaw the gambling activities and received a portion of the criminal proceeds.
The investigation resulted in the identification of more than USD 3 million in suspected criminal proceeds.
Members of the criminal enterprise used multiple shell corporations and functioning businesses to conceal their illegal gambling proceeds.
“Criminal enterprises like this pose a serious threat to the safety and well-being of our communities, driving illegal gambling, money laundering, and racketeering operations that value profit over people,” Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan said.
According to the complaint, the gambling operations included social clubs that housed live poker games and gambling machines, as well as an extensive online sportsbook operated through several websites based outside of the United States.
Each poker club was operated by high-level managers who delegated day-to-day operations to managers who were present during poker games.
The online sportsbook was operated by “agents” — who, before the advent of computerised betting, would have been known as “bookies” – that created accounts on sports gambling websites based in foreign countries.
As alleged, the high-level management made operational decisions, settled disputes, and used threats to collect overdue debts.
The enterprise also used websites to facilitate illegal online sports betting. The websites, through the individuals that owned, operated, and controlled them, were one part of this criminal enterprise controlling illegal gambling activities in northern New Jersey and other areas.
The websites allowed traditional organized crime members and associates to use the internet and current technology to engage in the same criminal acts that traditional organized crime has engaged in since the 19th century, the statement said.
