Downpour continued in many parts of Hassan and Chikmagalur districts on Friday.
Chikmagalur district administration declared holiday on Friday and Saturday for schools in Sringeri, Koppa, N.R. Pura, Mudigere and Chikmagalur taluks owing to heavy rainfall. With the water-level in Hemavati reservoir at Gorur, near Hassan, about to reach optimum level, the dam authorities have issued a warning to people living in the downstream.
Sringeri, Mudigere, Koppa and N.R. Pura taluks in Chikmagalur district are receiving heavy rainfall for the last two weeks. Sringeri recorded 138.8 mm rainfall on Thursday, followed by Mudigere with 104.8 mm, N.R. Pura with 90.8 mm and Chikmgalur with 11.1 mm. The highest rainfall of 176 mm was recorded at Bhandigadi in Koppa taluk. Parts of Sakleshpur and Alur taluks received heavy rainfall on Thursday. While the average rainfall recorded across Sakleshpur taluk was 66.4 mm against the normal average of 21.6 mm, Vanagur in the taluk alone recorded the highest of 124 mm rainfall in the district.
Meanwhile, four houses in Sakleshpur were damaged as a retaining wall in Kushal Nagar extension collapsed due to heavy rain on Thursday. S.S. Madhukeshwar, Assistant Commissioner of Sakleshpur subdivision, visited the spot and inspected the damage.
The walls of four houses were damaged as the retaining wall fell on them. However, nobody was hurt as none was there inside the houses, when the wall collapsed. Residents of the locality have blamed poor quality of work while constructing the retaining wall for the damage.
Water level in Hemavati reservoir has been steadily rising.
On Friday morning, the level was 2,918.41 ft. against the full reservoir level of 2,922 ft. Inflow into the reservoir was 22,888 cusecs.
The dam authorities have urged the people living in the downstream to immediately shift to safe places as water could be released from the reservoir at any point of time. The water level is expected to reach maximum level by Saturday.
