Untimely rains wreaks havoc in parts of Karnataka; lightning strike claims a life

News Network

March 19, 2022

Untimely rains wreaked havoc in parts of Karnataka besides leaving one person dead in last two days. Dharwad, Haveri, Gadag, Uttara Kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts witnessed heavy rains on Friday. Rains lashed in some of these areas on Saturday too.

Ravi Neelappa Bolammanavar (48), a resident of Kondoji village in Hanagal taluk of Haveri district was killed in lightning strike. The incident occurred when was offering fodder to cattle. He was rushed to community health centre at Akkialur, but he was declared dead on arrival.

A tree came crashing down on an electricity supply wire killing a monkey and disrupting power supply. About 15 electricity poles collapsed at villages in the taluk.

Amusement cradles installed as part of Marikambadevi temple broke away due to gusty winds at Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district after it began raining around 5.50 pm. Roof-top sheets of many stalls near the temple were blown away damaging materials and destroying eatables. Hundreds of people took shelter at various structures.

A tree came crashing down at Mundgod town affecting vehicular movement for a while.

Chikkamagaluru district received heavy rains coupled with gusty winds around evening. People welcomed the downpour as it provided relief from scorching summer heat. An average rainfall of 15 mm has been recorded.

Areca trees broke due to gusty winds. Trees fell on electricity lines in some places.

It also rained in Hubballi for 20 minutes, at Lakshmeshwar in Gadag district and Haliyal in Uttara Kannada district.

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RuTAGe smart village centres in DK, Udupi to being technology closer to rural communities

News Network

January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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