Karnataka rains: Monuments at Hampi UNESCO World Heritage Site inundated

Karnataka Floods

According to the Tungabhadra Board officials, 10 sluice gates were opened on Sunday morning, which flooded the regions along the river’s catchment area.

TNM Staff

Monuments at the Hampi UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka’s Ballari district were flooded with water as the sluice gates of the Tungabhadra Dam were let open on Sunday. According to the Tungabhadra Board officials, 10 sluice gates were opened on Sunday morning, which flooded the regions along the river’s catchment area. “Over 2 lakh cusecs water was released from the Tungabhadra Reservoir at Munirabad, Koppal district, on Sunday. Several areas in Hampi town including a few homes and the police station were also flooded. We had given everyone ample warning,” an official with the Tungabhadra Board in Hospet said. According to Ballari Deputy Commissioner SS Nakul, the Purandara Mantapa, located near the Vittala Temple, near the banks of the Tungabhadra river, was half submerged. Other heritage monuments including the Kodandarama Temple, Hampi Salu Mantapa Mrkandeshwara Temple, Nava Brindavana Gadde and Jaina Mantapa were also submerged in water. The floodwater entered the Hampi Traffic Police Station too, which was severely waterlogged. The district administration asked residents living along the river banks to move to safer places on Saturday. Although, 10 sluice gates were opened in the morning, all 33 were thrown open following heavy inflow in the wake of incessant rains in Koppal district. The NDRF and Fire & Emergency Services personnel rushed to the rescue of 60 tourists who were stranded at various temples in Hampi. Several tourists were also stranded at the island in Hampi on Sunday. However, locals mounted coracles and rescued the tourists. “We're stuck on the hippie island. We were not aware that a flood warning had been issued. There were rescue missions but two coracles were there and each carried 3 to 4 people at once, even without life jackets it was scary. But around 40 people were rescued by the evening,” said Priyanka, a tourist, who was stranded at the island. Hampi was the last capital of the Vijayanagara rulers. Its rulers built temples and palaces, which have been sites of admiration ever since. Constructed between the 14th and 16th centuries, the region was conquered and pillaged by the Deccan confederacy in 1565. Hampi was left in ruins six months after the conquest. A popular tourist attraction in Karnataka, Hampi was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. On Saturday, other heritage monuments in Bagalakote’s Aihole and Pattadakal were also submerged due to the heavy rainfall, which had led to officials throwing open the gates of the Naviluteertha Dam.   

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Karnataka floods: Death toll reaches 40, rains reduce across state

Floods

Rains have gone down across the state, but significant rainfall is forecasted for central and coastal Karnataka.

TNM Staff

The death toll as of Sunday evening as a result of the floods in Karnataka is 40, and 14 people are missing. Belagavi remained the worst affected district, with 12 people dead and two missing.  The hilly district of Kodagu has seen seven deaths, while there have been three deaths each in Shivamogga and Dharwad districts. The flooding in Uttara Kannada claimed four lives and Chikkamagaluru, Bagalkot, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru districts have seen two deaths each. One death has been reported in Haveri.  A total of 5.81 lakh people have been evacuated, of which 3.2 lakh people are staying in 1,168 relief camps spread across 17 districts. However, the worst seems to be over, with rain across central, coastal and northern districts of the state reducing considerably for the first time since August 4.   The situational report prepared by the Chief Minister’s Office said that water has started receding in many districts and the flood situation has improved, although incidences of fresh landslides have been reported.  The report also noted that rains would reduce further from Monday onwards in the northern parts. However, coastal and Malnad regions are likely to receive widespread moderate rains, with isolated places receiving heavy rains for the next four days.    As of Sunday, four Indian Air Force choppers have been deployed in Belagavi, Mysuru and Raichur. One Indian Navy chopper is in Uttara Kannada.  Local fire and emergency personnel, civil defence, 19 teams of NDRF, two teams of SDRF, three teams of Indian Coast Guard, one team of the Navy and the 12 columns of the Army continue the relief and rescue operations on the ground. The CMO’s report said that real-time updates on reservoir levels and flood situation are being closely tracked by senior officers through a WhatsApp group. Clean drinking water, food and other relief materials are being provided in 1,168 relief camps, the CMO's report said. 136 major roads (National Highway, State Highway and major district roads) remain affected due to floods and landslides. KSRTC bus services to Kerala (Kannur, Thalassery, Kasaragod, Thirthahalli, Horanadu, Udupi and Kundapura (Via Thirthahalli) remain cancelled. Services from Sigandur and Kollur will be operated up to Sampekatte. Buses from Soraba, Anawatti will be operated up to Shikaripur. Buses from Udupi, Kundapura Bhatkala via Thirthahalli will be diverted via Hosanagara. Bengaluru-Mangaluru services will be operated via Mysore and Madikeri

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Karnataka rains: 70 people trapped for 5 days in coffee estate due to landslide rescued

Floods

Karnataka rains: 70 people trapped for 5 days in coffee estate due to landslide rescued

Prajwal Bhat

Seventy people who were trapped for the last five days in Alekhan estate in Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru following a landslide were rescued on Sunday. The rescue operation was conducted by a team of officials from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Fire and Emergency Services. There was no loss of life reported in the incident, as per a district official. “Our village is unrecognisable and we have left everything behind and left the area. In the last two days, we have not eaten regularly. There were landslides and the force of the rain water flowing is too strong,” Pramila, a survivor, said. Meanwhile, in another incident, 100 people are feared trapped at the government school in Mudugundi village in Chikkamagaluru district. A rescue operation involving a column of the Indian Army is currently underway. The locals are believed to be have taken refuge in the school after a landslide hit the village three days ago. Five people were killed in rain-related incidents on Saturday as rains intensified in Chikkamagaluru district. A 50 mm average rainfall was reported in the district as of 3 pm on Sunday. Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje confirmed that those affected by the floods and landslides will receive Rs 92,100 as immediate relief. She added that a survey will be conducted to assess the damage to crops, roads and other infrastructure in the district. As of Sunday morning, 785 people in the district have been evacuated and camped in 8 relief centres. Twelve villages in 4 taluks of the district have been affected by the floods while 190 houses have been damaged. “The loss in the district is more than we expected. Some areas we are unable to access and we have received help from volunteers. We will do everything possible to provide relief to those affected and in the coming days, we will build new houses for those who have lost their houses in this disaster,” the MP said.

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Karnataka floods: Why rail connectivity has been hit in many sections

Floods

The Sakleshpur - Subramanya Road section in central Karnataka is the most severely affected region in the state.

TNM Staff

Train services in Karnataka have been severely hit due to the continuing heavy rains and flooding in north, central and coastal regions of the state. Tracks have been inundated, and in some cases, have been damaged due to landslides. Most of Karnataka is covered by South Western Railway. The rest is covered by Konkan, Southern and South Central Railway. Sakleshpur - Subramanya Road section The most severely affected section in Karnataka is the Sakleshpur-Subramanya Road section. Tens of landslides have occurred in the last few days, and railway staff have been working on a war footing with earthmovers. Landslides have led to debris piling on tracks and in some cases, has loosened the soil below the track. There are also cases of railway bridges being flooded or being vulnerable due to the incessant rains.  Senior railway staff told TNM that engineers were positioned at all strategic locations and are monitoring restoration works in real-time. But as more days of heavy rains have been predicted, the state government warned the South Western Railways to move all staff and labourers engaged in clearing debris and upkeep of the track until further notice. According to senior railway stuff, rainfall in Sakleshpur- Subramanya Road is almost double that of last year's cumulative rainfall. As a result, the Subramanya Road and Donigal parts in the section have been the most affected Senior divisional staff have cancelled all trains passing through these tracks till August 23, and are assessing the extent of damage.  Full list: No trains between Bengaluru and Mangaluru, parts of Kerala till August 23 Waterlogging in Mumbai-Pune Section and Kerala Heavy rainfall, which has triggered landslides and caused flooding in the Mumbai CST-Pune section and multiple sections in Kerala, has resulted in cancellation of some trains and partial cancellation of others. Many trains have also been diverted. Trains which were running between Ernakulam - Bengaluru will now run between Thrissur and Coimbatore.  And the Kanyakumari-Bangalore Express will be diverted via Nagercoil, Madurai, Erode and  Salem. The Mungur-Kolhapur Express has been cancelled, as are trains passing through Miraj and Kolhapur. Shivamogga-Talaguppa section Parts of the Shivamogga-Talaguppa section were inundated and train services were suspended on Saturday. However, with the water receding, train services were restored on Sunday.  The track between Shivamogga Town to Talguppa was suspended from 9.15 pm on August 9 due to heavy downpour, with water flowing above the track in many locations between Shivamogga Town to Talguppa. The track has now been restored and certified as fit at 11.30 am on Sunday for running of through passenger trains between Shivamogga Town and Talguppa. Normal train services in the section will resume shortly. Read: Trains reaching Kerala cancelled in large numbers, movement of people badly hit Also read: Karnataka floods: Full list of trains and buses cancelled or diverted on Saturday

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How a Kodagu youth outran a landslide and lived to tell the tale

Karnataka Floods

He is one of the lucky few who survived a landslide but his overwhelming feeling currently is guilt.

Theja Ram

Harshith, his mother Mamatha and 14-year-old sister Likitha had moved up to the line houses located on top of Manikanda Hill in Kodagu’s Thora on Friday morning. Harshith’s father Paramesh, who works at the coffee plantations in Thora, had gone out along with their neighbor Prabhu to check whether the water levels were rising downhill. Harshith and his family members had moved up to the line houses in order to escape the floods that were predicted by the district administration. An hour later, Harshith was standing outside the house when he heard loud rumbling noises. “I looked up and the entire hill was coming down. I did not think. I just ran as fast as I could without looking back. I kept praying that I have the strength to outrun a falling hill. I ran for a long time and finally when there was silence behind me, I stopped and looked back. There was only mud and trees and destroyed coffee plants,” Harshith tells TNM. Recounting the confusion he felt at the moment, Harshith, who sustained minor injuries on his arms and legs, says the first thing that hit him was guilt for not helping his mother and sister. “I just ran without thinking. I should have stayed and tried to save them. May be if we had not moved up, we could have all run out together and still been alive,” Harshith says. When he was sure that the landslide had subsided, Harshith ran back to the site of the crash and began frantically looking for his family members. He began digging out mud with his hands when he heard noises from underneath. “I could see someone’s hand. But it was a man’s hand. I began digging the mud out and I saw it was my friend Darshan, who was living in the line house next to the one we had moved into,” Harshith recounts. Harshith soon began digging the ground until he could free Darshan from the pile of soil and rubble. Speaking to TNM, Darshan, who is currently at the hospital in Virajpet, says that Harshith saved his life. Darshan’s legs were fractured as a tree fell on him during the landslide. “My friend saw me and when he removed the mud covering my face, he asked me if I could try to push as much from below. But I could not move my legs at all. He removed all the mud and also called the authorities. If he had not come there at that time, I would have suffocated. The mud was on my face and the rain was pushing it into my mouth. But he rescued me,” Darshan says. Darshan was transported to the hospital by the NDRF team, which reached Thora on Friday morning. After Harshith guided them to where he believed his family members were buried, the NDRF team fished out the bodies of Mamatha and Likitha. While the mother and daughter’s bodies were taken to the hospital for an autopsy, Harshith and his father Paramesh were shifted to the Virajpet relief camp. The tragedy did not end there for Harshith’s family. On Saturday, the bodies of Mamatha and Likitha were released and the family took them to the Virajpet Government Cremation Centre. With not a single penny in their pocket, the family hoped that the funeral would be conducted free of cost in the wake of the disaster that had struck the entire district. “We took my wife and daughter to the cremation grounds. The people there asked us for Rs 8,000 as funeral costs. When we were sent to the relief camps, we only had the clothes on our backs. We did not have any money with us. But they told us that without payment, the cremation would not happen,” Paramesh tells TNM. Paramesh and his family members sat outside the cremation grounds for over two hours when some locals enquired what was going on. Upon learning about the apathy they suffered, local journalists were called, who in turn informed the district administration. “We were informed about the condition the family was in and the people at the cremation grounds were directed to ensure that the funeral must happen without any delay,” Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy says. Upon the DC’s orders, the funeral took place on Saturday afternoon. Paramesh is currently at Thora, helping rescue personnel unearth the bodies of eight others who are trapped under the rubble. According to the Kodagu district administration, the family members of another landslide survivor Prabhu, including Devaki (65), Anu (35) Amrutha (15) and Aditya (10), are also trapped under the rubble. In addition, another family of four including Shankar, Appu (55), Leela (45) and another woman are trapped under the debris. The NDRF team and the Fire and Emergency Services personnel are carrying out rescue operations currently.    

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Former Union Min Janardhan Poojary rescued from floods in Dakshina Kannada

Karnataka Floods

Officials said that on receiving information about the octogenarian leader’s whereabouts, a team of was sent to lead Poojary and his family to safety.

Harsha Raj Gatty

With some areas in Dakshina Kannada witnessing heavy rainfall and rising water levels, the district administration and the National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) mounted a rescue operation in the coastal district. Former Union Minister and Congress leader Janardhan Poojary was also rescued from his home at Bantwal on Saturday morning. According to the district authorities, the home of the 82-year-old, located at Bantwal mooda close to the Nethravathi river, was on the verge of being overrun. As per the last reading, the Nethravathi had risen to 8.4 meters near Bantwal, while the danger level is at 8.5 meters. Officials at the Dakshina Kannada District Emergency service said that on receiving information about the octogenarian leader’s whereabouts, a team of NDRF, fire and rescue personnel was sent to lead Poojary and his family to safety. “Given his age, the rescue team along with locals shifted the senior leader into an inflatable boat that was on standby and ferried him to safety,” emergency personnel said. Following his rescue, Poojary and his family is said to have proceeded to a relative’s house in Mangaluru, officials said. A former MP from Dakshina Kannada, Janardhan Poojary served in various capacities in Congress-led union governments prior to 2000. Poojary is also the former president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Between Friday and Saturday, rescue officials said that over 300 people were rescued from flood-prone and affected areas, as they continued to be ravaged by the monsoon backed flooding. A 34-year-old lost his life in the district on Saturday morning. The man, Razak, was wading through water by foot when he slipped into a water-clogged drain. Although a few passers-by successfully retrieved Razak, the doctors at the local hospital reported him dead on arrival. According to unofficial reports, that takes the death toll to four in the district on Friday and Saturday. At Uppinangady, the Nethravathi river reached the danger level of 31.5 meters, but the Kumaradhara river at Uppinangady has breached its level from 26.0 metres to 26.5 metres. Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Senthil said that the residents close to the Nethravathi river have been asked to relocate to a safe zone. For close to a week now, the district administration was told to be on ‘Red Alert’ due to the rains, and has declared holidays for anganwadis, primary schools and colleges. The daily rainfall reports released by the district administration on Saturday suggested that in Dakshina Kannada, Belthangady received the highest rainfall measuring 232.09 mm, followed by Puttur at 167.15 mm, Bantwal at 159.3 mm, Sullia at 146.75 mm and Mangaluru at 129.48 mm. Meanwhile, the road to the district from Shiradi ghat has been shut till August 12 due to a landslide and traffic disruptions, and the traffic on the Sampaje ghat road has been subjected to regulation. Story by Story Infinity (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP.)

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Karnataka MLA Renukacharya criticised for 'photo-op' during floods

Floods

In a video shared widely, the BJP MLA was seen paddling the oars on a coracle in shallow waters, even as people around him were pulling the coracle.

TNM Staff

Honnali MLA Renukacharya faced criticism after a video was shared showing him paddling the oars on a coracle in shallow waters – even as people around him were pulling the coracle. The BJP leader represents Honnali constituency in Davangere district, which has been reeling under floods.  In the 38-second video, Renukacharya is surrounded by a group of people on a coracle, a small, rounded, lightweight boat. The leader is seen paddling the oars in unmistakably shallow waters. The people around him are seen holding the boat as the leader's paddling makes no effect on the boat's position. A person standing in the water is also seen pulling the boat towards the end of the video.  People were also seen clicking photographs and selfies with the MLA. The MLA's actions were criticised with several people claiming that the incident was a photo-op for the MLA and did little to help the people affected by the floods.  Karnataka BJP ministerial aspirant and former minister Renukacharya with great valour and involving himself in huge risk, single handedly rescuing villagers who were trapped in floods !! pic.twitter.com/eBPYTXlctc — Vishweshwar Bhat (@VishweshwarBhat) August 10, 2019 PHOTO OP GONE WRONG: Former Minister, MP Renukacharya pretends to row a coracle held by his supporters, in one feet deep of water, as he ‘rescues’ stranded villagers. This man deserves to be the Shipping Minister of India. https://t.co/gI4mgARwMx — Gautham Machaiah (@GauthamMachaiah) August 10, 2019 How photo ops continue to be the best way to show "performance/compassion". @BJP4Karnataka legislator #Renukacharya "rescuing" stranded villagers. #Karnatakaflood pic.twitter.com/YxcV0HmzIf — Sharan Poovanna (@sharanpoovanna) August 10, 2019 Height of stupidity, #Karnataka #BJP MLA Renukacharya should be in a circus,he could have walked instead of being silly. The coracle didn't move an inch, only for the guy on the right pulling it @BJP4Karnataka @BSYBJP pic.twitter.com/mv8umD1sL1 — Nikhil Gangadhar (@gknikhil287) August 10, 2019 Honnali has been affected by the heavy rains and floods in the state. Buses travelling from Shivamogga to Honnali have been cancelled after water-logging was reported on the route. 

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