Villages, roads marooned, rivers swollen across coastal Karnataka amid rain fury

News Network
July 9, 2022

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Mangaluru, July 9: Karnataka’s three coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi continued to reel under monsoon fury today with heavy rain coupled with the overflowing rivers leaving scores of villages, vast tracts of farm land and highways marooned.

Rain coupled with ongoing work on the highway led to traffic congestion on the road at Kallada on Mangaluru-Bengaluru road for hours.

Many residents in Dakshina Kannada’s Ballurgudde, Kannur, are in danger of losing their homes after a landslide, with three of them facing imminent danger. The people residing in the houses have been shifted by the district administration. 

A concrete road near Pachanady, that connects to Bhatrakodi, was damaged, cutting off the residents. The landslide poses a danger for the ground level reservoir atop a hill. 

Landslides have occurred in Gandibagilu in Belthangady. Mudslides have also been reported at Charmadi Ghat.

Even though the intensity of rainfall has slightly receded in Udupi, the flood situation has remained grim at Navunda in Byndoor and a few villages in Kundapura and Brahmavar. The swollen Sauparnika river is unleashing a trail of destruction in the region.

Floodwaters from Kubja river have entered the sanctum sanctorum of Brahmi Durgaparameshwari temple in Kamalashile.

Many houses were damaged and acres of farmland have remained under water at Neelavara, Bavalikudru in Brahmavar. Sea erosion continued in Battappady and surrounding areas in Ullal and Maravanthe in Udupi.

Flood situation in Uttara Kannada, in particular, is grim due to relentless rain and heavy discharge from dams. Gundbal, Bhaskeri, Badagani and Mankuli Nagamastikeri villages have been inundated by an overflowing stream. Many people from the flood-hit villages in Bhatkal and Honnavar taluks have been evacuated to relief centres.

Traffic was hit on National Highway 66 after a portion of the hill caved in on the road near Sarpanakatte check-post in Bhatkal taluk. Similarly, vehicular movement on highway near Araga and Chandiya in Karwar taluk was affected after a heavy discharge from Kadra dam flooded the road.

With the weather department predicting heavy rain in the next 24 hours, schools and colleges in Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Honnavar, Bhatkal, Sirsi, Siddapur and Joida taluks have been declared holiday on Saturday.

Bhatkal recorded a maximum rain of 21.8 cm in the last 24 hours (ending 8.30 am on Friday) while Karwar and Honnavar received 20.5 and 19.8 cm respectively.

Mudslides continued to rattle Kodagu. Heaps of mud caved in on Madikeri-Mangaluru road near Karthoji hitting traffic badly. Mudslides were also reported near the hockey stadium in Madikeri. 

The concrete slab of the retaining wall of Kodagu DC’s office has slipped, triggering a fear of collapse. Many houses across the district have been damaged in the rain in the past one week. MP Pratap Simha visited parts of Kodagu and took stock of the situation.

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News Network
November 18,2024

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Mangaluru: The Ullal police have arrested Manohar, the owner of Vazco Beach Resort, and its manager Bharath in connection with the drowning of three college girls from Mysuru at the resort’s swimming pool on November 17.

City Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal confirmed the arrests, stating that a case has been registered under Section 106 of BNS. The bodies of the victims, all in their twenties, have been handed over to their parents. The women had arrived at the resort for a weekend getaway on November 16.

Following the tragic incident, the resort was sealed by officials led by Mangaluru Assistant Commissioner Harshavardhan. The trade license of the resort, issued on June 13, 2024, has been suspended, and the tourism department has temporarily revoked the resort's registration. These actions prohibit the resort from engaging in any tourism-related activities until further notice.

Someshwara TMC Chief Officer stated that the suspension was due to the resort's failure to implement adequate safety measures, which resulted in the loss of three lives. Further investigations are underway.

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News Network
November 18,2024

Advisors to US President-elect Donald Trump have instructed his allies and associates to refrain from using the inflammatory language they previously employed when discussing issues related to migrants and the deportation of asylum seekers, in a bid to avoid “looking like Nazis.”

US media reports said that Trump’s associates had been asked to stop using the word “camps” to describe potential facilities that would be used to accommodate migrants rounded up in deportation operations across the country.

The reports said the US president-elect’s allies had been ordered to stave off such charged terms as they would bring to mind “Nazis,” and be used against Trump.

“I have received some guidance to avoid terms, like ‘camps,’ that can be twisted and used against the president, yes,” one Trump ally told American monthly magazine Rolling Stone.

“Apparently, some people think it makes us look like Nazis.”

The presidential advisers also cautioned surrogates and allies to keep racist terms, which have dogged Trump’s campaign, out of their remarks.

They said with Trump’s heated rhetoric that used to compare undocumented immigrants to “animals” and his slight that they are “poisoning the blood of our country,” detractors did not need to reach too far to find parallels to Nazi Germany.

Stephen Miller, who Trump tapped to be his deputy chief of staff of policy, specifically used the word “camps” to describe holding facilities that he hoped the military could put together for immigrants.

Tom Homan, who served as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is chosen by Trump to be in charge of the US borders, was no stranger to such language.

“It’s not gonna be a mass sweep of neighborhoods,” he said in an interview earlier this week. “It’s not gonna be building concentration camps. I’ve read it all. It’s ridiculous.”

Becoming a little more forthright about the new government’s aggressive deportation plans, Homan likened the early days of the Trump administration to the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“I got three words for them – shock and awe,” he said. “You’re going to see us take this country back.”

Trump made immigration a central element of his 2024 presidential campaign but unlike his first run, which was mainly focused on building a border wall, he has shifted his attention to interior enforcement and the removal of undocumented immigrants already in the United States.

People close to the US president and his aides are laying the groundwork for expanding detention facilities to fulfill his mass deportation campaign promise.

The businessman-turned-politician deported more than 1.5 million people during his first term.

The figure do not include the millions of people turned away at the border under a Covid-era policy enacted by Trump and used during most of Biden’s term.

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News Network
November 19,2024

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The Karnataka Police’s Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) achieved a major breakthrough on Monday night by eliminating Vikram Gowda, one of Karnataka’s most wanted Naxal leaders for over two decades. The encounter occurred in the dense Kabbinale forest of Udupi district, marking a significant victory against Naxal insurgency in the region.

Who Was Vikram Gowda?

Hailing from Hebri in Udupi, Vikram Gowda, 44, was a prominent figure in the Naxal movement. He went underground in 2002, initially serving as a courier and fund collector before rising to lead a breakaway Naxal group. Despite having only a fourth-grade education, he was a staunch advocate for tribal rights and a key player in the movement’s survival in Karnataka.

Bounty: ₹3 lakh from Karnataka and ₹50,000 from Kerala.

Legacy: The last major Naxal leader in Karnataka after the 2021 arrest of B G Krishnamurthy.

The Encounter

Police revealed that Gowda and his team visited Kabbinale village to collect groceries on Monday night. Acting on a tip-off, ANF ambushed the group. When the Naxals opened fire, ANF responded, leading to Gowda's death.

Escapees: Three Naxals fled, including prominent members Latha (aka Mundgaru Latha) and Raju.

Significance: This was the first Naxal casualty in Karnataka in over two decades.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara confirmed the operation, stating, “Gowda was elusive for 20 years, escaping multiple encounters. His death is a critical step in dismantling Naxal operations in the region.”

The Decline of Naxal Activity in Karnataka

Karnataka's Naxal movement has been dwindling, with members seeking refuge in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The group’s strength had reduced to just 19 members by 2018, but recent sightings indicate attempts at revival:

2023 Activity: Reports of Gowda-led movements in the Kodagu and Hassan districts reignited concerns.

Political Heat: The BJP criticised the Congress government, alleging it created a “safe haven” for Naxals.

A Glimpse into Gowda’s Past

Personal Life: Gowda’s ex-wife, Savitri (alias Rajita), was arrested in 2021. She was a senior Naxal commander involved in insurgency since 2004.
Rehabilitation Efforts: Since 2013, Karnataka’s rehabilitation policy has seen 14 Naxals surrender and reintegrate into mainstream society.

A Milestone in Karnataka’s Fight Against Insurgency

The operation signifies a decisive blow to Naxal resurgence in the Western Ghats. While the ANF continues its search for escapees, the Karnataka government reaffirmed its commitment to offering rehabilitation to those willing to surrender.

As Karnataka celebrates this triumph, the message is clear: there is no room for insurgency in the state.

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