Now pray to rain god for some break !

03 October 2009

Heavy rains have been lashing coastal districts of Dakshina Kannda, Udupi and Uttara Kannada for the last 48 hours and according to the met office there will be heavy to very heavy showers in the coastal areas of Karnataka and Kerala. The rains are the result of a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. It is not every day that we get such conditions said Mr. Puttnna weather scientist at the Met office in Bangalore when Mangalorean.com contacted him.

In addition there is a south westerly trough over the Arabian sea which will bring more rains for the next 48 hours. The rains in South Interior Karnataka (SIK) will be fueled by the cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal.

Udupi and Karwar have received an average rainfall of 144 mm during the last 24 hours and many low lying areas of Karwar like Kodibag and Sanjiva Rao road while in Udupi many low lying areas experienced flooding. One house collapsed in Navunda in Kundapur taluk in Udupi district. According to the police sources at least three places in the district were flooded including Navunda, Kolalagiri and few other places.

In Dakshina Kannada Belthangady taluk received 200 mm of rains in the last 24 hours and according to the Met office (forecast valid from 8.30am on Saturday to 24 hours till Sunday) all the coastal areas will get heavy to very heavy rains says the website of the India Metereological Department. The South Interior Karnataka will also get heavy rains. Few places in Bantwal like Brahmarakootlu and Goodinabali, were also flooded.

In Mangalore city due to heavy showers during the last 24 hours normal life was thrown out of gear and it is likely to disrupt normal life in the city, one this is for sure the weekend plans will be washed out.

Heavy rains have also been experienced in the ghat sections in Shirady, Charmady and Sampaje as a result all the buses going via these ghats have been delayed. However the train to Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai remain unaffected.

These rains could be very bad for agriculture in the region says the official at agriculture department Mr. Palichandra, the Khariff crop 2009 has reached a stage for harvest in as many as 30 per cent of the fields. But with the heavy rains lashing the region these fields are now facing the danger of deluge and destruction of standing crop, which means that if the rains continue there could more trouble for the farmers.

With the recent rains the roads have gone from bad to worse. All the three national highways - 17, 48 and 13 have become unmotorable, and repairs will not be taken up till the rains subside clarify the State National Highway Mangalore division.

In the meanwhile swamiji of Paryaya Puthige Math and other swamijis of Udupi Ashta Maths have started offering special poojas to Varuna (rain god) to bring down the fury of rains. In a special pooja session held at Krishna Temple Swamiji of Puthige Math HH Sugunendra Thirtha and the Kaniyoor Math swamiji HH Vidyavallabha Thirtha and other scholars were present.

source mangalorean.com