RAIN HAVOC CONTINUES; LAKE AT KANIVE BREACHES

Madikeri August 9, 2007

Atemple at Madikeri collapsed, a lake at Kanive breached due to heavy rain and a jeep at Bhagamandala was swept across in the floods. Rain fury continues to effect normal life in parts of Kodagu.

Schools were declared holiday again today and the Deputy Commissioner has asked even the schools teaching central syllabus to declare holiday as students find it hard to travel due to incessant rainfall.

People climbing up a cliff under a temple had a narrow escape today as a temple of Adi Shakthi collapsed. Located on the edge of a road at Mangaladevinagar, It slid down with the mud in the morning. Search for the temple bells, hundi and statue is on. Deputy Commissioner Niranjan and other officials visited the spot. The houses located further below were damaged as the debri with the mud landed on their roof top.

The farmers Ramanand and Bharadwaj complained that a lake at Kanive has breached due to rain fall and substandard work is the cause for it.

Irrigation officals arrived at the spot and assured to take immediate action.

A jeep carryings three persons dared to cross the flooded bridge at Bhagamandala yesterday and was swept away to a distance. The inmates had a miraculous escape and the jeep was pulled to safety using a rope and a tractor.

Hundreds of acres of land at South Kodagu in Balele – Nittur area are inundated. People complained to the press which toured the region yesterday that rising of a reservoir wall at Hunsur is the main cause for flood. They alleged that the level of Anugodu reservoir is raised by four feet and water is stagnant in South Kodagu due to this. Even if the rain comes down, hundreds of acres here remain in water. Children cannot go to schools or people can cross their houses due to the floods they said.

They also complained that repeated appeals have been made to the deputy commissioners to raise the road level and a bridge from Nittur to balele. Also a short cut road was proposed, all in vain. A distance of 1.5 kilometers to Balele has to be covered with 13 kilometers due to official apathy, they opined.

About four acres of land and paddy field belonging to S.P.Erappa and B.L.Erappa of Kundalli village was covered with mud as a huge land slide occurred at Kundalli.

Half a dozen houses collapsed in the region since two days.

Cluster of villages around Shanthalli at Somwarpet taluk are inundated with streams and water falls over flowing. This region located at the foothills of Pushpagiri has received 303 inches of rainfall till yesterday.

HOLIDAY EXTENDED

Madikeri August 9

DDPI basheer Ahmad has announced that holiday is declared for schools in the district for further two days. Holidays are extended owing to the incessant rains lashing the district.