The woman was seated on a chair, placed on top of a bed. Shivering, she closely held onto her 12-day-old baby, draped in several layers of clothing. She sat there for over six hours, without moving from the spot, without food or water, until the rescue workers reached her marooned house in Bikur village in coastal Karnataka’s Udupi district.
“By the time we reached the house, the water was neck-deep with six family members in it. They had moved the mother and child on top of the bed, while the rest remained inundated with water. We spent the day rescuing such trapped families,” said Vasant Kumar, District Fire Officer, who led the rescue in Bikur village.
This was among the many stories shared by rescue workers in coastal Karnataka and parts of Malnad (Western Ghats), where over 1,700 people have been evacuated over the last three days. The newborn was rescued from Udupi district, where more than 300 people have been shifted to relief camps.
During a media briefing on 16 August evening, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said four people have lost their lives and 1,022 houses have been damaged. He added that 1,755 people have been relocated to 29 relief camps across five districts where the red alert was issued.
Flood Alert Issued Across 5 Districts
After Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy held a meeting with officials, a high alert was declared across five rain affected districts – Kodagu, Dakshin Kannada, Hassan, Chikkaamagaluru and Shivamoga on 15 August.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), the coastal district of Udupi received the maximum rainfall over the past 24 hours recording rains as high as 35.7 cm.
Other coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada received a maximum of 33.8 cm, while Uttara Kannada experienced 33.6 cm, and south interior districts Kodagu 28.8 cm, Hassan 24.5 cm, Chikkamagaluru 25.1 cm and Shivamogga 33.6 cm.
Air Force’s Help Requested
Karnataka PWD minister HD Revanna, who has been tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the rescue operations said the government is in touch with the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials for their help. The minister told the media that a detailed plan of action will be prepared and shared with the IAF.
Meanwhile rescue operation reinforcements are being provided to the fire department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Officials in Udupi district said they are currently operating four boats in the district and two more boats are expected to arrive by 16 August evening. Similarly, in Daskhin Kannada districts, additional boats have been deployed from Hassan district.
Cauvery Flowing Above Danger Mark
Kodagu in Coorg district is the most affected by the torrential rains. Talacauvery, the origin of Cauvery river, received a record 37.5 mm rainfall within 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday. Although the amount of rainfall has fallen in several parts of coastal Karnataka, heavy rains continue in Kodagu district.
Following heavy rains, Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Sreevidya has issued a warning asking people not to travel to Kodagu, which is a famous tourist destination. Major roads within the districts, like in Kushalanagar, Napoklu, Virajpet and Ponampet remain under water.
Shiradi Ghat Road Declared Unmotorable
Following landslides, Shiradi Ghat, a crucial link of National Highway 75 connecting Bengaluru and Mangaluru has been declared unmotorable. The decision to stop the traffic was announced by Assistant Commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy who said all vehicles will be banned on this road till August 20.
While traffic has been banned, search for the driver of a tanker is underway. According to the police, on the night of 14 August, the driver, who was on his way from Mangaluru driving a tanker filled with natural gas, tried to evade a landslide and fell 100 feet down the ghat.
While the cleaner of the tanker has been found dead, the search for the driver is underway.
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