A man was killed in Chikkamagaluru due to the heavy rains that have been battering Karnataka since August 1. The man was swept away by an overflowing stream passing through his war. While he was retrieved by alert onlookers, he died on the way to the hospital. Another person has also been reported missing in the Belagavi district.
The death toll due to the floods is currently at 13.
Officials at the Karnataka Disaster Management Authority said they are cautious, even though the flood-like situation has improved significantly due to reduced rainfall on Saturday. Lower rainfall in the Cauvery catchment area has also presently alleviated the stress in Mysuru district.
Speaking to TNM, senior IAS officer Manoj Ranjan, Commissioner of Karnataka State Disaster Management, said the inflows and outflows from the reservoir and dams have drastically improved in the last two days. “As things stand, there is nothing to worry about,” he told TNM.
This comes after 12 people were confirmed to have lost their lives as of Saturday due to the incessant rain over the past seven days. Further, four persons, including the chief priest of the Talacauvery temple, are missing after they were swept by a landslide.
With more rains predicted over the next 24 hours, authorities in central and coastal Karnataka remain on alert, with several rivers overflowing and some areas prone to landslides.
In its evening bulletin, the Karnataka State Disaster Monitoring Centre predicted widespread moderate to heavy rains in isolated places and very heavy rains over the coastal region; fairly widespread to widespread light and moderate rains in isolated places, with heavy rains likely over the Malnad region and parts of north interior Karnataka; scattered light to moderate rains were likely over the south interior Karnataka region.
KSNDMC said very heavy rains were observed over Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts and fairly widespread moderate rains and heavy rains at a few places. Heavy rains observed were over Shivamogga and Kodagu districts.