Kodagu (Karnataka): About 3,500 marooned people were rescued in Karnataka's worst flood-hit Kodagu district even as incessant rains hampered relief work, the government said on Sunday.
"The Indian Army, Navy and other state and central agencies have rescued more than 3,500 people so far," a statement from Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's office said.
Of the hundreds stranded across this flood-hit hilly district, about 270 km from Bengaluru, the 3,500 rescued till Sunday noon have been shifted to 30 relief camps and efforts were on to reach the others held up on hilltops.
#CauveryRiver birth place for #kodagu nature disaster in #Karnataka #KodaguFloods #PrayForKodagu #Karnataka #India #Bengaluru #bangaloretoday #Karnatakarains #karnatakafloods #keralarains #keralafloods #mysore pic.twitter.com/psPqcYmtbk
— Satya (@Mavuri7) August 17, 2018
The exact number of people still stranded across the district could not be ascertained from the officials.
Located in the Western Ghats mountain ranges, the coffee-growing district is the worst-hit due to the south-west monsoon rains since June first week.
This is most disastrous video we have seen.
— Chetan Joshi (@joshichetan08) August 17, 2018
So horrible and sorrysome to this situation
May all stay safe. Hope this bad dream ends soon. #IndiaforKerala #KodaguFloods pic.twitter.com/ZNtZoiVDJm
The incessant rains have been causing flooding and landslips across the region, damaging the arterial roads.
Over 60 people have been stranded in Mukkodlu village of the district, but airlifting them has not been possible due to bad weather, Kumaraswamy said on Saturday.
Rescue teams saving precious lives during rescue operations in Nandimotte near Madapura of Somawarpete taluk. People rescued have been shifted to safer places .#SOSKodagu #KodaguFloods @nsitharaman @DefenceMinIndia @narendramodi @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/kQWLxKl2uq
— Pratap Simha (@mepratap) August 18, 2018
About 300 people were rescued on Saturday, including more than 30 senior citizens and 50 children.
About 60 Dogra Regiment soldiers, 12 naval divers, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials, 525 fire service personnel and Home Guards are among those working on rescue operations.
In total, over 1,000 rescuers from state and central agencies have been engaged in the rescue operations.
This is how tough the rescue operations are..
— BCP MAN (@HMLokesh) August 19, 2018
Selfless service in the face of danger - kudos to the dedication of these personnel. #KodaguFloods #KodaguFloodRelief pic.twitter.com/yQuRzJEFfg
Hundreds of volunteers from state capital Bengaluru and across the state have been gathering relief material, including dry food, water, milk, clothing and medicines, and distributing them to those in the temporary shelters in the district.
The water being released from Harangi reservoir in the district across Harangi river, one of Cauvery's tributaries, has been adding to the flooding of towns and villages in the region.
That's the Chunchunkatte Station in my Taluk today. It's been flowing at danger level for over 3 days now. They've been releasing water downstream causing submersion of acres and acres of fields. #KarnatakaRains #KodaguFloods pic.twitter.com/WUjwXBi7te
— Aiyshwarya Mahadev (@aiyshmahadev) August 19, 2018
Over the last 24 hours, the district received an average rainfall of 5.4 cm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Few parts of the district received rain upto 11.5 cm.
Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande has been overseeing the rescue and relief operations.
The state-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corp (KSRTC) on Sunday resumed all its intra-state bus services towards Kodagu and Mangaluru and inter-state services towards Kerala.
People in Kodagu, stay safe indoors; this at Madikeri-Madapur road pic.twitter.com/BwslE5Znlb
— D Roopa IPS (@D_Roopa_IPS) August 16, 2018
The bus services were suspended over the past few days towards Kodagu, Mangaluru and flood-hit Kerala due to the landslips and damaged roads caused by the rains.
The South Western Railway's (SWR) train services were, however, cancelled or partially suspended and diverted between Yesvantpur in Bengaluru and Kochuveli in Thiruvananthapuram, Mangaluru to Karwar in Uttara Kannada due to landslides and floods.
This is how bad it is across the border in Karnataka: Flood distress in Kodagu’s Hattihole village. @IndiaToday’s reporters @nolanentreeo & Madhu trekked 10 km to get to this point where the Army is helping marooned residents emerge from a cut off area. pic.twitter.com/DAlnbGCR6t
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) August 17, 2018
The SWR on Sunday transported relief material including water, food, milk, clothing etc., for thousands of people living in shelters in neighbouring Kerala.
#KeralaFloods
— Firstpost (@firstpost) August 17, 2018
Visual of Mallalli falls near Somwarpet in #Kodagu #KarnatakaFloods #LiveUpdates https://t.co/731egvuwPt pic.twitter.com/31sUo86kmg