Kundapur: Incessant Monsoon cause Widespread Damage across Taluk

By Bernard J D Costa
Bellevision Media Network

Kundapur, 27 Jul 2013: The monsoon has arrived ahead of a week in the coastal district, which has been causing havoc across Kundapur taluk.   It has been lashing after a lull.  The people residing across the Kundapur taluk in low-lying regions are facing the brunt of floods.  It is significant that this year monsoon has always accompanied heavy gales and thunder, terrifying the people and lightning struck wild vegetation.

The rivulets are overflowing

The incessant rains have caused floods in rivulets – Varahi, Souparnika, Chakra, Kubja and Kitaki threatening the household families to take shelter in safer places, as the floods inundated the farmlands, houses and cow sheds.

 

 
The people living along the banks of Souparnika rivulet in Byndoor faced the worst of floods, as the flood waters inundated houses, plantations, streets in the regions of Kollur, Padukone, Nada, Senapur Hadavu, Kadke, Haklady, Chikkalli Badakere, Toplu, Navunda, Heroor, Hemmady, Salbuda, Arehole, Katbeltoor, Muvattumudi, Uppinakudru, Kannakudru.  The revenue department, police, forest department, self-help-groups and gram panchayats assisted in the rescue operations.  The students and the people who had to go to town for daily tasks faced hardship.

 

Despite several decades passed since independence, the local residents are facing the hardship as the basic infrastructures such as roads, foot-bridge, culverts, and bridges are still undeveloped in the region.  The stranded residents were rescued by ferrying to safe areas.  Meanwhile, the basic infrastructure can be developed with the unaccounted wealth amassed by corrupt government officials and politicians, because the money recovered from them can be best utilized in developing the infrastructure at the same region.

Crop loss

In spite of moderate rains in rural areas, the paddy cultivation has been hindered owing to flooded saplings that are washed away in a few villages and rotten in other areas.  A few farmers were unable to till their farmlands owing to un-receding flood waters.  Some of the peasants had to take refuge in safe areas, abandoning their hoes, farmlands as were flooded.

 

Temples flooded

The flood waters of Kubja rivulet inundated the famous Kamalashile temple here owing to torrential rains in a few days ago.  In another incident, floods from Kubja rivulet covered the portico of Maranakatte temple that has been thronged by thousands of devotees and are offered with free food.  Its due to massive flooding, the dining facility cannot be accessed.
The people spent sleepless nights with fear of floods in low-lying regions of Siddapura, Hallihole, Yadamoge, Hosangady, Amasebail, Hattiangady, as the bloated rivulets Varahi and Chakra caused havoc in the region.

National Highway damaged

The national highway from Kundapur KSRTC bus stand till Byndoor was extensively damaged owing to torrential rains.  The potholes on the roads give nightmares to motorists. It indeed poses a challenge to motorcyclists to survive on the road, riding along long-haulers.  The substandard quality of highway further worsened the roads.

 

Uprooted trees and collapsed walls

Several trees were uprooted and cow-sheds collapsed across the taluk owing to torrential rains coupled with high velocity winds.  The electric poles were damaged causing snapped power supply for days together.
Several old houses were collapsed in the torrential rains; the tiles of a few houses were blown away.

 

 

Threats form quarries, ponds, lakes

The quarries across the taluk are filled with rain water that threatens the unwary people walking besides from drowning.  A sixty-foot deep quarry located in Aloor poses threat to the locals.  Besides the streams, lakes, open wells that are un-fenced poses threat to children. The peoples’ awareness programmes were held at the instructions of Deputy Commissioner, to discourage the children in playing at untested waters for fear of drowning.

 

Mighty tidal waves and sea erosion

The mighty tidal waves of Arabian Sea are hitting the shore causing sea erosion that has intensified in Kody, Maravante, Trasi, Dombe, Kanchgod, Kiri Manjeshwar.  The sea has encroached upon shore in several regions, damaging fisheries road, washing away the eateries that are set up along the beach.

 

 

World-famous Maravante beach

The national highway 66 runs through Maravante beach for a few kilometers, while Souparnika rivult flows parallel to the highway.  The famous Maraswami temple is located here.  The local residents depend on ferry service to cross the picturesque rivulet.  The boulders were laid along Maravante beach that are likely to be washed away in mighty tidal waves.

Kundapur sub-division officer Yogishwar after surveying the sea erosion regions, said that over 350 acres of farmlands were damaged owing to sea erosion.  Byndoor special Tahsildar M A Khan, Byndoor revenue inspector Ravi V, assistant agriculture director Ramdas Rai, plantation department official Manjunat and village accountants of different villages also visited the sea erosion regions.

It is learned that the government officers will once again review the situation after floods recede to award compensation for crop loss.