Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri/Bantwal
Moodbidri/Bantwal, Apr 23: Several parts of Dakshina Kannada district witnessed heavy rain accompanied by strong winds over the past two days, causing widespread damage to houses, vehicles, farmlands, and power lines.
In Moodbidri, a tree came crashing down on a moving car at Biravu Gajigara Palke along the Moodbidri–Bantwal state highway on Tuesday evening. The car sustained heavy damage, but fortunately, the passengers escaped unhurt. Gusty winds uprooted multiple trees in the region, some of which fell on electric poles and disrupted vehicular movement and power supply.
The forest department, MESCOM officials, and the police worked together to clear the debris and restore traffic. In Maruru near Venur, a tree fell on the house of a resident named Razak, causing severe damage. No injuries were reported. In Maruru Guddalangadi, a tree fell near a local daivasthana (spirit worship site), damaging a power pole and resulting in electricity outages in parts of Moodbidri town due to fallen trees on electric lines near a Dalit colony.
Meanwhile, in Bantwal and Belthangady taluks, heavy rain and thunderstorms on Monday night wreaked havoc in several villages including Panemangalore, Maninalkuru, and Hosangadi.
In Panemangalore, Giridhar Kamath’s rice mill sustained roof damage, while houses belonging to Hammad Bava, Usman, and Shekhabb also suffered partial damage. A tree fell on Vasanti Monappa’s house, and strong winds damaged the roof of another home.
In Maninalkuru's Nelyapalke area, strong winds damaged about 12 roofing sheets and the rear wall of a house belonging to Kulsumbi. In Kottunja, nearly 35 areca nut trees were damaged after a tree from Praveen Alva’s plantation collapsed due to the wind.
In Hosangadi, strong winds uprooted coconut and areca nut trees, damaging several homes. A coconut tree fell on the house of Dera Sharada Poojari, and another fell on a cattle shed, destroying it completely. Twenty roofing sheets were blown away from Prashant’s house, while an areca nut tree fell on the house of a resident named Keshava. Reports indicate that hundreds of areca nut and rubber trees were uprooted in the area.
Local authorities are assessing the total extent of damage and taking steps to restore normalcy in the affected areas.