Report by Michael Rodrigues
Pics by Yogish D Kundapura
Team Mangalorean

Udupi: If people of Udupi town had prayed for water and life earlier, now the water gifted by rain gods is so much plentiful.

The town town wears a look of an island submerged in water everywhere.  It is not just blind or old-aged persons who run the risk of getting entrapped at road ends and end up with broken bones. Even youngsters have to be on their guard against eventualities like getting washed away or getting killed by highway vehicle drivers.

Udupi town has heaved a sigh of relief with the torrential rains that lashed the city since there was a drinking water scarcity. Now the entire district's rivers, ponds and lakes have had a fresh fill of water from the nonstop rains hitting the city, without any let-up in sight. The situation in Udupi and Kundapur roads and drainages has gone out of hand almost.

The drainages having not been dredged well in time, the rain water is gushing through all the drains and lanes unhindered. It is hard to distinguish between a road and a drain now.  Internationally-renowned Manipal township looks as though it is inundated in water.  Tiger Circle, Syndicate Bank, MIT Circle, Big Boss Circle road and others face the problem of artificial flooding.  The pedestrians in most cases got muddy water splashed on them by motorists, who could not be faulted entirely.
 
The civilians are a harassed lot, forced to bear it. Drivers and pedestrians alike face the risk of slipping into gorges several feet down the drains. 

The scene at the national highway is far worse. For almost a year, the work on the four-laning is remained unfinished. In many places, there are no drains at all. Throughout the length and breadth of Padubidri, Udupi and Kundapur, the rain water is flowing in the highway stretches.  At a number of spots the highway has been raised to a lofty height above the earlier level and the approach roads connecting the highway are filled with water, because of which the pedestrians are hard put.

Udupi town's outskirts and the low-lying places were full of water on Sunday, following heavy rains. The steep rise in the number of high-rise residential buildings, with no bylanes or drains to match to ease out water, artificial flooding appears to have come to stay for long.

Uppoor, Kallianpur, Kolalagiri and other low-lying areas are submerged in water.  However, it is indeed a matter of relief that no major loss or damage to life or property has been reported so far.