Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady

Beltangady, Jun 10: Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds lashed several parts of Beltangady taluk on Tuesday afternoon, disrupting normal life and causing damage to infrastructure.

A temporary bridge constructed across a stream in Ambadabettu, falling under Ujire and Kanyadi-1 gram panchayat limits, was washed away following the heavy rainfall, severing connectivity between Ujire and several surrounding areas.

A new minor bridge is currently being constructed at Ambadabettu at a cost of Rs 2.50 crore. The bridge is expected to provide connectivity from Ujire and Nidigal to Nada, Indabettu, Kolli, Guripalla and Kayyangu regions, benefiting thousands of families.

As part of the bridge construction work, the old bridge had been dismantled and a temporary road was created alongside it by filling earth. However, the stream overflowed following Tuesday evening's heavy rain, with nearly three feet of water flowing over the temporary road and washing away the soil embankment.

Local residents and police personnel took precautionary measures by stopping vehicular movement from both sides of the road. Residents fear that if the rain continues, the temporary road could be completely submerged.

With the Ambadabettu route cut off, local residents and schoolchildren are now forced to travel an additional 20 kilometres to reach Ujire and other destinations.

Locals said they had earlier urged the authorities and contractor to complete the new bridge before the onset of the monsoon. However, they alleged that the work has been progressing at a slow pace. They expressed concern that if the rains continue, residents of the area will face severe hardships throughout the monsoon season due to the lack of a functional bridge.

Heavy rain also caused waterlogging in the Somantadka area of Mundaje village along the National Highway. Water flowed through an internal road and inundated the frontage of several shops.

According to local residents, a blocked drain in the area caused rainwater to overflow onto the road and enter the vicinity of the shops.

Strong winds accompanying the rain led to the uprooting and damage of hundreds of arecanut and rubber trees across the taluk.

Power supply was disrupted in several rural areas, while mobile towers operated by private telecom companies remained non-functional for several hours, causing inconvenience to customers.