The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a red alert in six coastal districts in Karnataka while orange alert has been issued in another six.
Red alerts have been issued for Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, and the Malnad districts of Shivamogga, Kodagu, and Chikkamagaluru, while an orange alert is in place for Belagavi, Dharwad, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Hassan, and Mandya."
The southwest monsoon has entered Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri, Gadag, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu, Mysuru, and Chamarajanagar districts, informed IMD Bengaluru.
On Monday, Mangaluru city reported water-logging at major roads, Pumpwell Circle, Kottara junction, Deralakatte, and Bhagavati Nagar near Kodialbail and other low-lying areas. Llandslides on the Charmadi ghat have compelled the locals to shift to safe zones. Many houses were damaged and highways blocked due to tree fall. The bathing ghats at Kukke Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala were inundated due to the rising water levels at Kumaradhara, Phalguni and Netravathi rivers.
A team of NDRF is camping at Puttur, while the SDRF teams are stationed at Subrahmanya and Mangaluru. The district administration has directed the fishermen to keep off the Arabian Sea for the next three days.
With torrential rains lashing the districts, the administration in Mysuru and Kodagu have declared a holiday for Anganwadis, schools and colleges for the next two days. In Kodagu, Bhagamandala (where river Cauvery originates) was marooned and the Madikeri-Virajpet road was cut off due to rainwater flooding the road. Roads in Madikeri town were inundated, and the main roads connecting Siddapura-Kushalnagar and Kushalnagar-Somwarpet were blocked due to tree fall and uprooted electric poles.
Kodagu deputy commissioner Vekat raja has issued orders prohibiting tourists from entering the water at waterfalls and rivers and movement of heavy vehicles carrying loads weighing more than 18,500 kilos.
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Tourists have been restricted from visiting the beaches of Gokarna, Murudeshwara and Karwar due to incessant rains and strong tidal waves.
The traffic on Shiradi ghat has been disrupted due to landslides and mounds of slush being washed down to the national highway. In Hassan, the landslides along the Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway have caused panic among motorists.
The Bagalkot and Belagavi districts are under flood alert owing to an overflowing Krishna river and Maharashtra receiving heavy rains.