Since the night of July 31, heavy rains have wreaked havoc in Venoor and Hosangady, foothill regions of the Western Ghats in Belthangady taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. The torrential downpour led to flooding, with water from Hosangady and Venoor rivers, tributaries of the Phalguni river, inundating over 20 houses in Hosangady, Badakodi, and Maroor villages. Several homes and buildings were filled with sludge, and a minor bridge at Malady-Sonandur village was washed away.
“There was a cloudburst-like situation,” said P. Dharanendra Kumar, former Vice-President of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat. The rains began around 7 p.m. on July 31 and lasted until 4 a.m. on August 1, he reported.
The Belthangady-Venoor State Highway was submerged until early August 1. Sheshappa Naik of Badakodi village reported chest-deep water in his house, losing 500 coconuts and 300 bags of manure. Villagers recalled that this was the worst flood since 1974, with a similar event in 1937.
Anil Naik from Badakodi village said water entered his house at 9:30 p.m. on July 31 and receded by 3 a.m. on August 1. His paddy field was completely damaged.
Water from the Phalguni entered low-lying areas in Moodushedde, on Mangaluru’s outskirts. Rescue teams used a rubber boat to relocate a family to safety. Reports indicated flooding in Gurupura and Vamanjoor due to the river’s spate.
In response, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M. P. Mullai Muhilan declared a holiday for schools and pre-university colleges on August 1, following an orange alert by the IMD.
Renjala gram panchayat in Udupi district recorded the highest rainfall in Karnataka, with 319.5 mm in 24 hours. Shirthady gram panchayat in Belthangady taluk recorded 269 mm during the same period.
