Mangaluru: Heavy rains wreaked havoc across several parts of Karnataka on Sunday, triggering landslides, inundating roads and low-lying areas, and causing major rivers to swell.
Three members of a family, including a three-year-old child, were killed after a rain-triggered landslide buried their shed in Indiranagar in Shivamogga district in the early hours of Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Mallikarjun (35), his wife Nagaveni (28), and their son Santosh, residents of Kokkaregaru village in Gangavathi taluk of Koppal district.
The family was asleep when a hillock collapsed onto their shed at around 2.30 am, police sources said.
A person staying in a neighbouring shed also sustained serious injuries and was admitted to a private hospital, the sources added.
Police said continuous heavy rainfall in the Malnad region triggered the landslide, resulting in the deaths of the three family members.
Meanwhile, torrential monsoon rains accompanied by strong winds battered the Dakshina Kannada district in coastal Karnataka overnight.
The district administration placed emergency response teams, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), on high alert as several rivers rose to dangerous levels following relentless rainfall in the Western Ghats catchment areas.
The Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Mrutyunjaya, Phalguni (Gurupura), and Somavathi rivers were reported to be flowing near or above danger levels, posing a threat to riverside settlements and agricultural areas.
"Water levels have risen rapidly. Downstream communities are being closely monitored and alerted," a senior district official told PTI.
Traffic disrupted
Landslides and flash floods disrupted connectivity across the district. In Belthangady taluk, landslides blocked the Mundaje-Dharmasthala road, while flash floods caused a retaining wall to collapse at Neriya, inundating nearby residential areas.
Overflowing tributaries at Putrabailu and Laila also cut off the Belthangady-Killuru road, officials said.
Low-lying arecanut plantations, agricultural fields and houses in Mundaje and Ujire were submerged due to flooding.
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has established 24x7 control rooms across taluk headquarters to coordinate rescue and relief operations.
Authorities have advised residents, tourists and pilgrims to stay away from riverbanks, waterlogged roads and beaches. Fishermen have also been asked not to venture into the sea because of strong surface winds and high waves.
Heavy earth-moving machinery has been deployed along key national highway stretches, including the Charmadi, Shiradi and Sampaje Ghat routes, to clear landslide debris and ensure the movement of essential services.
Local authorities and disaster response teams continue to monitor weather conditions and river levels, with officials saying further advisories will be issued depending on the evolving situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said extremely heavy rainfall continued over parts of the Malnad and coastal regions, with Agumbe in Shivamogga district recording 197 mm during the 24 hours ending 5.30 am on Sunday, followed by Gonikoppal in Kodagu (66 mm), Brahmavara in Udupi (60 mm), Balehonnur in Chikkamagaluru (58 mm) and Sirsi in Uttara Kannada (52.5 mm). Mangaluru recorded 37.8 mm at the airport, while Bengaluru registered only trace rainfall at its observatories.
Trains hit
Heavy rain also triggered a landslide between Edakumari and Shribagilu railway stations in Hassan district's Sakleshpur taluk, damaging tracks and forcing the suspension of seven train services connecting Bengaluru with Mangaluru, Karwar, Kozhikode, Murudeshwar and Vijayapura.
Railway authorities advised passengers to make alternative travel arrangements after mud and boulders fell on the tracks. The disruption also affected candidates travelling for the Civil Police Constable examination, officials said.
Cauvery water level improved
Meanwhile, continuous rainfall in Kerala and the Cauvery catchment significantly improved water storage in Karnataka's reservoirs. Officials said inflows into the Kabini reservoir at Beechanahalli in Mysuru district rose to about 30,000 cusecs, while outflows increased to around 25,000 cusecs as the reservoir level reached about 82 feet against its full reservoir level of 84 feet. The increased discharge submerged the low-level Bidarahalli bridge in Saragur taluk, prompting authorities to warn people living along the Kabini river to move to safer places.
The Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir in Mandya district also registered a sharp rise, with the water level increasing from about 92 feet to 97 feet within two days and storage rising from around 17 TMC to 20.477 TMC, according to officials.
The improved inflows have eased concerns over water availability amid the ongoing Cauvery water-sharing dispute and reduced fears that reservoirs were nearing dead storage levels.
The IMD on Sunday also issued a three-hour nowcast warning for Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts, forecasting moderate rain with intense spells accompanied by sustained winds of 40-50 kmph at isolated places.
It warned of temporary power disruptions, minor traffic snarls, damage to weak trees, kutcha structures and harvested crops, and advised people to remain indoors, avoid travel where possible, stay away from waterbodies and unplug electrical appliances.
