Extensive damage to property as heavy showers lash DK

Mangalore, June 28: Heavy rains battered Dakshina Kannada district in the last 48 hours, causing extensive damage to property in various parts.

The water level in the Nethravathi river rose by a metre at Bantwal. There was no report of immediate loss of crops, according to the district administration.

At least seven houses were damaged due to the incessant rains since Sunday evening injuring a man and his wife.

The rain damage in the city is estimated at Rs 5 lakh in the past 24 hours. The district administration said the process of disbursing compensation had been initiated.

In the wee hours of Tuesday a giant tree aging nearly 150 years was toppled down by a strong wind at Nanddigudda in the city damaging a shop belonging to one Ratan. Another tree fell on the road near Bappal cross at around 3:00pm causing no serious damages.

Two electric poles crashed and wires snapped when a tree on the premises of a house came down in L Mathais Lane of Falnir Road on Monday. The incident disrupted traffic on the lane for several hours and the area went without power.

A substantial part of the house of MY Yusuf (55), a worker, in Demmale area of Mallur in Ulaibettu collapsed injuring him and his wife Zohra (47) when a huge banyan tree fell on the house, according to Mr. Yusuf's son Altaf, a businessman.

The two sustained head injuries. He said his brother, sister-in-law, and their two children had a providential escape. The loss to the house is estimated at Rs 60,000. A part of the house of MY Aboobacker, brother of Mr. Yusuf in the neighbourhood, collapsed when an electric pole fell on it. The loss is estimated at Rs. 40,000.The house of Alwyn in Permude and Saramma in Surinje collapsed when trees fell on them. The damages were estimated at Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 25,000 respectively.

In another incident, the house of Purushothama, son of Rudrayya Gouda, was damaged at Aranthodu in Sullia taluk when a tree fell on it.

Official statistics said the district so far (from January) received 1,060.1 mm as against last year's 911.1 mm. Meteorological Centre in Bangalore said on Monday that heavy to very heavy rain would occur at isolated places in coastal Karnataka when rainfall could exceed 65 mm during the next 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the director in-charge, meteorological centre, Bangalore on Monday warned that strong onshore winds from north-westerly to westerly direction with speed occasionally reaching 45-55 kmph is likely along the Karnataka coast during next 24 hours.