Copious rainfall across Dakshina Kannada district has led to severe flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in Belthangady, Bantwal, and on the Mani-Mysuru road at Madyangala in Shekhamale near Puttur on Tuesday. The landslide in Shekhamale damaged four electricity poles and closed the Puttur-Sullia road for several hours, stranding vehicles on both sides. By 3 pm, one side of the road was reopened, with clearing operations continuing into the evening.
Several trees were uprooted throughout the district. The Nethravathi River’s water level reached 9.3 meters at Bantwal, surpassing the danger level and flooding low-lying areas like Aladka, Bastipadpu, and Kotekani. Farmlands and paddy fields in Panemangaluru, Navoor, Sarapady, and Maninalkur were inundated, with water entering the kitchen of Bhayankeshwara Temple in Panemangaluru. The river’s rise also threatened the Ajilamogaru Sayyed Baba Fakruddin Juma Masjid and flooded roads in Ajilamogaru.
Landslides at Pathrathota on the Vittal-Kalladka stretch and Amtadi on the B C Road-Polali road disrupted vehicle movement. Mudslides occurred on the B C Road-Poonjalkatte stretch, and heaps of soil from a mudslide entered a farmland in Maninalklur village. Floodwaters reached the road in Adamkudru, forcing residents to use boats. The national highway at Panjala in Uppinangady was submerged, with vehicles wading through.
Belthangady tahsildar declared a holiday for schools due to the heavy rainfall. The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre has issued a red alert in the district until August 1, warning of potential landslides and land cracks. In the last 24 hours, the district received an average of 111.4 mm of rainfall, with Mundaje receiving the highest at 199 mm.