Schools shut amid heavy rain in Mangaluru, IMD issues alert
The district administration in Dakshina Kannada, India has declared a holiday for educational institutions due to heavy rains and flooding in the area.
Bengaluru
As heavy rains continue to lash Dakshina Kannada, the district administration on Tuesday declared a holiday for educational institutions in the Mangaluru sub-division. Schools and colleges in Mangaluru, Mulki, Bantwal, Ullal and Moodbidri taluks remained closed.
“In the last 24 hours, heavy rains were recorded in Dakshina Kannada’s Mangaluru sub-division. An orange alert has been issued. Hence, a holiday has been announced on July 4 for all Anganwadis, primary and high schools, PUCs, government, aided and private institutions in Mangaluru, Bantwal, Ullal, Mulki and Moodabidri,” Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan MP said.
The precautionary measure applies to all educational institutions including government, private, and aided schools and colleges, as well as Anganwadi centres.
Muhilan, emphasised the need for proactive measures to ensure the safety of students and staff during inclement weather conditions. Education officers, school headmasters, and college principals of the respective blocks have also been directed to prepare a comprehensive report and submit it to the Tahsildar in order to determine the necessity of declaring holidays.
The deputy commissioner also advised parents not to allow children to venture into low-lying areas, lakes, river banks, and seashores. Fishermen have also been told not to venture into the sea. District and taluk-level authorities have been asked to be on standby and carry out disaster management activities.
Torrential rain has been lashing the district with inundation in low-lying areas the last couple of days.
In Mangaluru, the heavy downpour resulted in waterlogging in low-lying areas on Monday. Flooding was seen in Pumpwell Circle, Kottara Chowki junction and Rao and Rao Circle resulting in traffic congestion for hours.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Pajiru in Bantwal taluk recorded the highest rainfall of 172.5 mm in 24 hours as of 8.30 am on July 4.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rainfall in the coastal districts. The weather department issued a thunderstorm with lightning warning accompanied by gusty winds with speed reaching 40-45Kmph at isolated places over the districts of coastal Karnataka till July 8.
It has issued orange alerts for the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluu, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada.
“In the wake of present systems, thunderstorms with lightning are likely to occur at isolated places over the state during July 3-5. Gusty winds at speeds of 40-50 kmph are also likely to occur at most places over North Interior Karnataka during July 3-7,” the IMD officials said.
