Heavy rains: Red alert sounded in Dakshina Kannada district

A red alert has been issued in Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka in the wake of heavy rains and forecast of the possible formation of cyclone Kyarr along the coast in the next two days, official sources said on Thursday. The forecast from India Meteorological Department said the well-marked low-pressure area over the east-central Arabian Sea would gradually intensify into a depression anytime and by Friday, the system would start moving in the north-west direction while intensifying further into a cyclone.

The Karnataka State Natural Calamity Monitoring Centre has also asked the public to be cautious, while fishermen have been warned against venturing into the sea. Fishermen already out in the sea have been advised to return to the shore.

Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh declared a holiday for schools and Colleges in the district on Friday in view of the IMD forecast. Parts of Karnataka have faced a deluge for the second time in two months and the toll since last week rose to 13.

The second spell of downpour since October 18 damaged around 10,000 houses and rendering over 7,000 people homeless in 16 districts, including Belagavi in north Karnataka which bore the brunt of the flood fury in August. At present, there has been a let-up in the rainfall after several areas of Dakshina Kannada and neighboring Kasaragod district in Kerala have been experiencing moderate to heavy rain in the last two days.

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