Madikeri: Heavy rains over the past few days have flooded the Doni Kadavu area of Benguru village near Cherambane in Madikeri taluk, Kodagu district. Villages along the Cauvery River, including Nelaji, Kakkabbe, Bhagamandala, Talacauvery, and Napoklu, are now surrounded by overflowing water. The flooding has cut off road connections between Doni Kadavu and Paisari villages, covering the entire 3 km road with floodwater.
More than 60 families in Parambu Paisari are severely inconvenienced as their surroundings are completely flooded. Residents and schoolchildren are now forced to use motorboats to reach their destinations. The District Administration has responded by deploying a motorboat from the Forest Department, equipped with life jackets and operated by experienced personnel, to ferry flood-affected villagers. Bhagamandala Revenue Inspector Shivakumar confirmed that the District Administration provided a boat following requests from the villagers.
Shaila Rajesh, a resident of Parambu Paisari, mentioned that the Revenue Department has promised to repair the old boat for additional use and urged the construction of a bridge as a permanent solution.
In response to landslides and road deterioration caused by heavy rains in Kodagu, the District Administration has imposed a one-month ban on the movement of heavy goods vehicles from July 1 to 30. Vehicles affected include those with a Registered Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 18,500 kg or more, multi-axle vehicles, bullet tankers, ship cargo containers, long chassis vehicles, articulated vehicles, and lorries transporting logs and sand.
The ban, enforced under various legal provisions including the Karnataka Police Act, Disaster Management Act, Motor Vehicles Act, and Cr.PC, exempts vehicles transporting LPG cylinders and fuel, milk vans, Government service vehicles, public transport, and educational institution vehicles. Kodagu Police will deploy personnel at entry and exit points like Kushalnagar and Sampaje for enforcement, including round-the-clock mobile patrolling and actions against violators.
In other news, the Forest Department has resumed tourist entry to Dubare Elephant Camp following a temporary suspension due to heavy rains. Tourists will now use motor boats to cross the Cauvery River to reach the camp, as the absence of a bridge necessitates this mode of transport. With the water level receding, boating operations have resumed with the Department providing four motor boats for safe passage to and from the camp, according to an official press release.
