Heavy rains lash coastal Karnataka, cause floods in Mangaluru, Bantwal again

coastaldigest.com news network

August 10, 2018

Mangaluru, Aug 10: Heavy rain continued to pound coastal Karnataka including Dakshina Kannada and Udupi causing floods in at Kottara Chowki and other low-lying areas of Mangaluru city.

The India Meteorological Department has cautioned that the region would get heavy rain in the next three days and very heavy rain for two more days thereafter. It also said that the sea condition is likely to be very rough with strong winds blowing in the westerly to north-westerly direction with speeds reaching 25-35 kmph, gusting to 45-55 kmph occasionally along the coast. The department has asked fishermen not to venture into the sea during these days.

While Kollur in Udupi district received 9 cm rainfall during 24 hours ended at 8 a.m. on Friday, Kukke Subrahmanya in Dakshina Kannada and Gerusoppa in Uttara Kannada received 7 cm each. Till Friday evening, many areas in Dakshina Kannada received about 7 cm rainfall.

Mangaluru South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath visited areas around Kottara that have been witnessing floods in the afternoon. Interacting with residents, the MLA said that he would ensure a permanent solution to flooding that followed a spell of rain.

Mr. Kamath asked Mangaluru City Corporation officials to clear blocks in storm-water drains for the smooth flow of rainwater. He said that the corporation and National Highways Authority of India have to work out a solution to the problem.

The Netravathi and the Kumaradhara, which were in spate on Thursday, subsided on Friday, despite there being heavy rainfall. Yet, the Netravathi was flowing over the bathing ghat at the popular pilgrim centre of Dharmasthala on Friday.

The sudden increase in the Netravathi waters in Bantwal on Thursday had put the authorities on high alert, who continuously kept a close watch on the developing situation. The Hosamatha bridge on Uppinangady-Kukke Subrahmanya road which was again submerged in the floodwaters of the Gundya on Thursday, was thrown open to traffic on Friday. The waters of the Kumaradhara, which had submerged the bathing ghat at Kukke Subrahmanya on Thursday, receded on Friday.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner S. Sasikanth Senthil said that the administration is keeping a close watch on the situation.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

Comments