Flood Havoc Leaves Mangaluru Auto Garages Overwhelmed

After relentless rains crippled normal life in Mangaluru and nearby taluks in Dakshina Kannada earlier this week, a new challenge has emerged—automobile repair centres are overwhelmed with flood-damaged vehicles. Areas such as Pumpwell, Padil, Kodialbail, Attavar, and Ullal saw severe inundation, leaving countless cars and bikes submerged.

Local mechanics are now dealing with a sudden spike in repair requests, many involving extensive damage—from soaked engines and faulty wiring to completely destroyed interiors. The crisis has especially impacted owners with only third-party insurance, which does not cover flood-related damage.

Jaideep Rai, deputy general manager at Mandovi Motors Pvt. Ltd., reported 90 cars affected by the floods. Vehicles are being classified into three damage levels: Category A (water reached the carpet), Category B (up to the seats), and Category C (water reached the dashboard). Vehicles in Category C are considered a total loss and are often not worth fixing.

Rai added that many owners are disheartened—either due to sentimental attachment or because insurance payouts fall short of covering new vehicle costs. Vehicles in Categories A and B, however, can still be salvaged.

Two-wheelers have not been spared either. Avinash BR from Kanchana Honda mentioned 16 rental bikes near Attavar were water-damaged. He cautioned against riding through flooded roads, as issues might appear days later.

Purushottama Kamila of Shree Durga Padma Auto Works stated that while some lightly affected vehicles were repaired on-site, others had to be towed in for full servicing.

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