Three die as rain triggers flash floods, landslides in Karnataka

At least three people have died and five have gone missing due to flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain in the past three days in various parts of Karnataka . Kodagu is the worst-affected district, with Bhagamandala receiving record rainfall of 486mm in the past 24 hours.


The downpour triggered landslides in the Brahmagiri hills, the origin of river Cauvery where the Talacauvery temple is located.

The previous record in the area was 300mm on August 17, 2018.


Most major rivers in the state — Krishna , Malaprabha, Varada, Kapila, Kali, Hemavathi and Tungabhadra — are in spate, submerging roads in several places in Chikkamagaluru, Belagavi, Gadag, Haveri, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu districts. Hundreds have been displaced in Kodagu due to flash floods and landslides. Many have taken refuge in local schools and community centres.

Deaths were reported in three districts. In Hassan, the body of Siddaiah, a farmer from Sankalapura village in Sakaleshpur taluk, was recovered on Thursday. He was swept away in floods the previous night. In Uttara Kannada, a youth was washed away in flood waters while a nine-year-old girl drowned in flood waters in Ganjigatti village in Dharwad district. The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Authority has sounded red alert in coastal and Malnad region for the next 24 hours. Revenue minister R Ashoka said 12 houses have been destroyed and 375 were partially damaged in Malnad region.

Shift flood-hit, survey loss: CM

Following an emergency meeting with home minister Basavaraj Bommai and officials to assess the situation, he said all parts of the state have received excess rain. “While south interior Karnataka has received a record 72% excess rainfall, north interior Karnataka has recorded 39% excess this year,” he said, adding that the government is prepared to handle the situation.

Chief minister BS Yediyurappa announced Rs 10,000 to each household as immediate relief and upto Rs 5 lakh compensation, depending on extent of damage to houses. The CM also directed officials to take steps to shift flood affected people to school buildings in rural areas. He also asked officials to survey crop and property loss.

Several bridges have also been submerged, uprooting thousands of trees and electric poles. Minor landslides were reported in Charmadi Ghat, snapping connectivity between Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts.

With Maharasthra receiving heavy rain too, authorities are monitoring inflow into Krishna and Bheema rivers. A flood alert was sounded in villages downstream of Narayanapura dam across Krishna as authorities decided to increase the outflow to 1.2 lakh cusecs.