The coastal belt, particularly Dakshina Kannada, is almost cut off, with two major ghat roads, Shiradi and Charmadi, remaining closed owing to heavy rain, landslips, and tree-falls. Train services too are disrupted, while there have been delays in flights.
Government authorities have allowed only light motor vehicles and passenger buses to ply via Sampaje ghat, the only major connecting road to Dakshina Kannada now. Movement of heavy vehicles on the same ghat on Mangaluru–Madikeri–Mysuru sector has been banned.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S. on Friday continued the ban on vehicular traffic on Charmadi Ghat, a stretch of national highway 73 linking Dakshina Kannada with Chikkamagaluru and other parts, till August 14 midnight.
The Shiradi Ghat stretch of Mangaluru–Hassan–Bengaluru national highway 75 will remain closed for traffic at least till August 12 morning, following landslips and tree-fall on the ghat near Sakleshpur on Friday.
Train services
Train connectivity between Mangaluru and Bengaluru will continue to remain suspended at least till August 11 as the Railways has cancelled all trains being operated via Sakleshpur and Hassan till then to clear debris from the tracks between Siribagilu and Subrahmanya Road stations.
There were some delays in the operations of flights at Mangaluru International Airport on Friday owing to inclement weather. Sources in the airport said no scheduled flights were diverted but there were delays in the arrivals and departures. Mr. Senthil said a flight with an NDRF team could not land at the airport in the evening owing to bad weather. The team may arrive either by road or flight on Saturday.
Holiday extended
Holiday for anganwadis, schools, and colleges in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada districts has been extended till August 10.
The number of people evacuated in Uttara Kannada owing to floods, particularly in Karwar and Ankola taluks, rose to 11,229 on Friday. Indian Navy personnel rescued 450 people, with a majority of them from Kaiga Nuclear Plant Township in the district on Friday. A statement from the Navy said, “A naval helicopter was mobilised to Karwar to render assistance to marooned villagers in the upper reaches of the Gangavalli. The crew made several attempts to reach these villages but encountered severe weather, forcing them to return to Karwar.”
