Hundreds of families in the district woke up to a rising Netravati which began to surround their houses and threatened to swell further. But people faced it bravely and many appeared to be up for the challenge.
“Between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., it rose very fast…” Yusuf K., staying in a small apartment at Kallapu, said. People at Jeppu-Ferry Road, too, said water level started rising suddenly around the same time. Mr. Yusuf’s house was surrounded by waist-deep water by 10 a.m. By then, several families living on the ground floor of the building owned by Illias Lobo had reached to safety. .
But several families mostly staying on the first and second floors, continued to stay put, hoping the waters will recede. But their wait continued until evening, when the water started to recede. Deputy Commissioner N. Prakash said the water level of the river in Puttur had come down to 24.7 m – down from the 28 m – the level reached earlier in the day.
The day witnessed at least four deaths while two persons were injured in lightening at Shibaje in Belthangady taluk. Cattle deaths were reported from Bantwal taluk.
A couple of bridges were also damaged in the district. Hundreds of trees were uprooted.
Dozens of houses in Kallapu, Kallapu-Patla, Adam Kundru, Jeppinamogaru, Atrebail near Kavoor, and Adyar, near Mangalore, were either marooned or partially submerged. Elsewhere, major damage was reported from several areas in Bantwal, Puttur and Belthangady taluks. Bantwal taluk office said 66 houses were damaged. Congress leader B. Janardhana Poojary’s house in Bantwal was in waist-deep water. Hundreds had to be evacuated. The sight of river water gushing towards the Arabian sea by the house of S. Mohammad, a sand merchant at the end of the Jeppu-Ferry Road — half a km from Morgan’s Gate — was scary. Water had already entered the house. But those inside, including children aged 7 and 2, appeared nonchalant. “We will have to do a major clean up (after water recede),” said Riyaz, a member of the family.
Netting furniture
In Kallapu, a furniture shop owner had a tough time protecting his merchandise. As the water started rising, the articles started floating away. But he knew how to get them back. He brought a huge net from his home and tied one end to a lamppost and the other to a coconut tree. “When water recedes the pieces of furniture would not flow away,” he said, with a wry smile.