Karnataka: Kodagu, Hassan & Dakshin Kannada districts continue to face rain fury; security forces deployed for help

Bengaluru, August 18: In Karnataka, Kodagu, Hassan and Dakshin Kannada districts continue to face rain fury. In Kodagu, several hillocks have caved in and several villages wiped out due to landslides.

 

Several are feared dead due to floods and landslides. More than 600 people are waiting to be airlifted in Kodagu, but inclement weather has hampered helicopter operation.

Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has posted series of tweets saying rescue operations along with SDRF teams, Civil Defence team in Kaloor and Mukoodlu villages in Madikeri taluka, Coorg district, Karnataka and rescued around 500 persons from aforesaid districts today.

Sitharaman further said that “air Force has also deployed assets in Kodagu district of Karnataka. However, winching operations have not been possible today due to adverse weather conditions. Air operations to resume today.”

CM HD Kumaraswamy said in a statement, “over 1000 security personnel including NDRF, Navy, Army, Fire Dept, Home Guards etc are involved in rescue operations. Air Force is lifting stranded people and dropping relief material. 200 NCC cadets also working. We are working nonstop.”

 

Madikeri-Hassan state highway is under water following release of huge quantity of water from Harangi reservoir.

The hanging bridge is damaged at Kanive Ramalingeshwara temple, at the confluence of Cauvery and Harangi rivers. Flood situation is grim due to discharge of 1.2 lakh cusecs of water from the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir in Mandya.

Telephone services have been hit and a large number of villages are in the dark as thousands of electricity poles have been uprooted. The services of HAM operators are also being utilised.

The Karnataka road transportation agency and Railways have suspended services to Kerala, Kodagu and parts of Hassan district.