Karnataka rains: Schools, colleges to remain shut for two days in Dakshina Kannada district

Mangaluru: All schools and colleges across coastal Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district will remain shut on Wednesday and Thursday as heavy rains disrupt normal life, said an official. [caption id=“attachment_4487721” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A view of a flooded locality after a thunderstorm, in Mangaluru. PTI[/caption] “We have advised all state-run and private schools and colleges across the district to remain closed for two days as a safety measure due to heavy rains flooding roads and localities in the district,” Sasikant Sentil, Deputy Commissioner told reporters in Mangaluru, about 350 kilometres from state capital Bengaluru. A record 40 millimetre rainfall on Tuesday in the port city of Manganluru inundated several areas, including roads and housing colonies and commercial hubs due to storm-water drains overflowing and garbage blocking their movement. “Though the South-west monsoon is set to enter the state in the next two days, a cyclonic storm, low pressure and strong surface winds have brought moderate to heavy rains in the coastal areas since Monday,” a weather official told IANS. Forecasting rain or thundershowers over the next two days in the coastal districts and south interior areas due to favouring conditions, the official said fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Arabian Sea and tourists were told to stay away from beaches facing high tides. “Took stock of the situation in Dakshina Kannada due to heavy rains since Tuesday across the coastal district and directed the administration to take assistance of the coast guard to prevent loss of life and mitigate hardship,” tweeted state Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy from Bengaluru. Pre-monsoon rains were also reported from Udupi, Honnavar, Agumbe, Karwar in the coastal region, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad and Gadag, affecting movement of people and goods and causing damage to crops.