Over 300 houses damaged in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada

A playground and a beach shelter damaged at Chitrapur near Mangaluru on Sunday.

Over 300 houses, about 200 in Udupi district and about 130 in Dakshina Kannada district, have suffered damage, either partially or fully, as the passing Cyclone Tauktae induced heavy rain and gusty winds since Saturday.

Similarly, considerable lengths of fisheries roads in both the districts have been affected due to sea erosion caused by raging waves since Saturday even as hundreds of coconut trees have been uprooted.

Dakshina Kannada in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojari held an emergency meeting on Sunday and directed officials to extend relief to all the affected. As many as 380 persons have been affected due to the cyclone, 14 houses have been completely damaged and 108 partially damaged, he said.

Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLAs from the district and senior officials attended the meeting.

Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra directed the local authorities and the Revenue Department to clear vents of vented dams and bridges of wooden logs and other trash so as to avoid artificial flooding around the region.

Udupi district in-charge Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a video conference with the district administration on Saturday evening and directed the officials to utilise ₹69 crore fund available under disaster relief to mitigate suffering.

Udupi Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesha has in a statement said that nearly 200 houses in the district have been damaged in the cyclone and considerable length of roads affected. Roughly, the district has suffered damage worth about ₹70 crore, he said. Steps are being taken to offer immediate compensation as well as ad hoc compensation to the affected people.

Both the districts have deployed teams from the National Disaster Response Force in addition to personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services of the State to undertake search and rescue operations.

Major portions of fisheries roads along the Kulai-Sasihitlu stretch in Dakshina Kannada, Malpe-Padukare, Maravanthe and Shiroor in Udupi district have suffered damage. The district administrations have shifted over 500 affected people to relief centres, duly adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.