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Three killed in Dakshina Kannada landslide; IMD extends red alert
Hours after the reports of casualties surfaced, the red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department for Dakshina Kannada district was extended till Saturday.
Three labourers were killed and one person was injured after a landslide hit Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, an official in the know of the development said on Thursday.
Hours after the reports of casualties surfaced, the red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Dakshina Kannada district was extended till Saturday, the official said.Meanwhile, heavy rains continued to lash the district.
Following the alert, all the educational institutions, including Anganwadi schools and colleges in the district have been ordered to remain shut till Saturday.
The landslide which claimed three lives occurred at Mukkuda in Panjikallu of Dakshina Kannada. Dakshina Kannada superintendent of police (SP) Rishikesh Sonawane identified the deceased as Bjiu (45), from Palakkad in Kerala, Santhosh Alappuzha (46), from Alappuzha and Babu (46) from Kottayam.
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While Biju died on the spot, the other two died while undergoing treatment, said the official. Another injured, Johny (44), from Kannur is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bantwal.
The four labourers were rubber tappers who were staying in a shed when the landslide occurred due to heavy rains on July 6 night. The incident took place at 8.45 pm on Wednesday at the house of one Henry Carlo, who had employed the labourers. Carlo had built a shed near his house for the labourers where five of them were staying.
Meanwhile, high waves in the range of 3.5 meters to 4.8 meters were witnessed along the coast from Mangaluru to Karwar and are is expected to continue until Thursday midnight, a statement from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) read.
Even though the water levels at major reservoirs in the state remain under their capacity, however, the reservoirs located in the coastal and Malnad regions of the state are at around 80% of their capacity. In Harangi reservoir, which is located in Kodgau district that has been witnessing heavy rains in recent days the outflow of the water is being closely monitored by the district administration. As per the latest data, 13,974 cusecs was the inflow to the dam, while the outflow was at 15,600 cusecs.
The wind speed is likely to reach 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph in the coast in the coming days.
Meanwhile, deputy commissioner of Udupi district Kurma Rao M has declared a holiday for Anganwadi schools and colleges, due to the continuous rain in the region. Kodagu deputy commissioner Dr Sateesha BC, Uttara Kannada DC Dr Rajendra KV and Hassan DC R Girish also announced a holiday for Thursday for Anganwadi schools and colleges in Alur, Arkalgud, and Sakleshpur towns.
An advisory has also been issued for tourists and firemen for Thursday and they have been asked not to go to beaches.
Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in Kodagu, Karwar and Udupi.
“As per IMD, heavy rain is predicted in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. All necessary precautions have been taken after speaking to the deputy commissioners,” the chief minister said.
Bommai said that instructions have been given to stop and prevent sea erosion, evacuate people living in low-lying places with common landslide occurrences and also to keep roads clear. “Our teams are prepared with all the equipment,” he added.
A statement by the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that Bommai has instructed officials to conduct a survey of the flood-prone areas and assess whether the residents in the affected areas require to be relocated temporarily or permanently.
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“In 2009 after massive flood wreaked havoc, 60 villages were permanently relocated. But people returned to their earlier habitations once the flood waters receded. We are considering the option of building well-equipped rehabilitation centres at higher places along the river banks and low-lying areas so that people could be shifted there whenever they are affected by floods,” the chief minister said.
State revenue minister R Ashoka, who is in Kodagu district, is also overseeing rescue operations in the rain-affected areas like Chembu village. He also distributed relief cheques to those affected. “Our revenue minister is already in Kodagu. I have already held discussions with the (DCs) of the districts regarding the precautionary measures to be taken. The deputy commissioners have the necessary funds,” Bommai said.
According to the Met department, scattered heavy to very heavy rain with isolated extremely heavy rain is likely to occur over all the districts of coastal Karnataka. Also, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Shivamogga districts of south interior Karnataka.
Heavy rain is also likely to occur at isolated places over Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri, Kalaburgi and Raichur districts of north interior Karnataka and Hassan district of south interior Karnataka.
