Owing to a red alert by the Met department, the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada has declared holiday for all schools and colleges in the district for two days.
As heavy downpours continue to lash the coastal Karnataka district of Dakshina Kannada, the administration has declared a two-day holiday for all educational institutions – for Friday and Saturday. The weather department has issued a red alert and forecast heavy rains in the district, which prompted authorities to take the precautionary step, news agency PTI reported.
Authorities have warned children, fishermen and tourists from venturing into low-lying areas and beaches for the next two days. Officials at the district level have also been instructed to be ready to perform emergency duties and rescue operations if need arises. The district level officials have been ordered to open emergency response centres in every taluk.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) said Chendiye village in Uttara Kannada’s Karwar had received the highest amount of rainfall – 260mm in a 24-hour period ending 8.30 am today.
It added that widespread moderate to very heavy rains were likely over coastal districts and widespread light to moderate rains with isolated heavy rains were likely over Malnad.
According to The Indian Express, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai addressed media at Mysuru airport and said flood-affected villagers would be relocated to rehabilitation centres temporarily until floods recede.
“We are considering the option of building well-equipped rehabilitation centres in higher locations along the river banks and low-lying areas so that people could be shifted there whenever they are affected by floods,” Bommai said.
Bommai also said all necessary precautions had been taken to prevent further untoward incidents and that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) had been deployed in Kodagu, Karwar, and Udupi as a precautionary measure, after a landslide on Wednesday killed three.
