Tunga, Malnad rivers in spate following heavy rain

Chikkamagaluru/ Hassan: The Tunga River is in spate , following heavy rain in its catchment area in Chikkamagaluru , and the mighty Malnad River is overflowing , flooding the temple town of Sringeri .

The Gandhi Maidan and Main Bus Stand in Sringeri are submerged, while water entered the bhojana shala at Sringeri Sharada Peetham.

Residents at the religious site were caught off guard as the river suddenly went into spate, submerging many localities. Major roads connecting Mangaluru and Chikkamagaluru have been temporarily closed due to flooding.

There were landslides at Charmadi Ghat at Alekaan village. The authorities cleared the debris using two earth-moving machines, but the ghat is still closed for traffic owing to heavy rain, which could lead to more landslides.

Meanwhile, Chikkamagaluru reported its second death due to rain, after a villager died at Andavane village in Chikkamagaluru taluk. Shankar, 40, died on Thursday night after he drowned in the Bhadra River, and a complaint was registered at Balehonnur police station in this regard.

A man died after he slipped into the Yettinahole River while crossing it near Kamanahalli in Sakleshpur in Hassan district. Siddiah,60, from Sanklapura Mutt village was heading home from a farm with a herd of buffaloes, and while crossing the river to reach his village on Wednesday night, he slipped into the river and drowned, said police sources. His body was retrieved late on Thursday night.

Rainwater has entered 40 shops on Azad Road in Sakleshpur. Last year during this time, Azad road was completely inundated. This year as a precautionary measure, the taluk authorities alerted the residents to move to safer places. They have also reserved the nearby government hostel as a relief centre for residents. Hassan district minister K Gopalaiah reviewed the situation with deputy commissioner R Girish.

Heavy rain washed away paddy fields in 226 villages in Sakleshpur, while hundreds of acres of paddy fields and banana plantations were submerged at Aardi village, near Jayapura in Koppa taluk in Chikkamagaluru district.

Meanwhile, Sagar, Thirthahalli and Hosanagar taluks in Shivamogga continue to receive heavy rain.