Heavy rain lashes coastal districts of K'taka

Bangalore, July 14 (UNI) Heavy rain continued to lash the coastal districts of Karnataka for the second day today, submerging the low-lying areas, damaging houses and causing severe sea erosion in certain areas.

Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district recorded exceptionally heavy rainfall of 50 cm during the last 24 hours ending 0830 hrs.

Many parts of Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikmagalur districts also experienced incessant rain.

Official sources said traffic between Madur and Jadkal had been totally cut off, and several low lying areas in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district had submerged in the deluge.

A 70-year-old woman was rescued yesterday by two youths when she was being washed away by flood water near a bridge at Kinnigoli in Dakshina Kannada.

Sea erosion had become severe at Sasihitlu near Suratkal and Trasi-Maravanthe in Kundapura. Huge boulders piled up to prevent erosion at the Trasi-Maravanthe beach area in Kundapura.

Bhatkal recorded the highest rainfall of 50 cm in the last 24 hours ending 0830 hrs, followed by Udupi 20 cm, Mangalore and Kundapura 16 cm each, Bantwal 15 cms, Karakal and Puttur seven cms each, Sullya six cms and Belthangady five cms.

The weather office issued a warning to fishermen that strong onshore winds from westerly direction, were likely along and off Karnataka coast during the 24 hours effective from this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Cauvery basin reservoirs were fast reaching their full levels following good inflows due to widespread rains in the catchment areas.

The water level in the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir, across river Cauvery, touched 122.53 ft as against the maximum level of 124.80 ft. The inflow was 12,002 cusecs, while the outflow was restricted to 1,129 cusecs.

In the Kabini dam, the level stood at maintained at 2282.53 ft as against the full capacity of 2,284 ft. The inflow and outflow were 12,709 cusecs and 11,504 cusecs respctively.

The water level in Harangi reservoir was 2856.81 ft as against its full level of 2,859 ft. The inflow was 5,582 cusecs and the discharge 4,521 cusecs.

A report from Bijapur said the water level in the Alamatti dam stood at 517.77m as against its full level of 519.6m. The dam received reduced inflows due to let up in rains. The inflow was 60,961 cusecs and the discharge 46,549 cusecs.

UNI TEAM RG RA HT1927