Rain continues to batter Karnataka

Bengaluru, July 8 (UNI) Heavy rain continued to batter most parts of Karnataka on Friday. A red alert was issued for seven districts and people were facing the threat of landslides and floods. The rain continued to pound in 14 districts of the state. Considering the seriousness of the situation, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will hold a virtual meeting later this afternoon with the district in-charge ministers, deputy collectors, and district authorities. Bommai will take stock of the situation and monitor the relief measures initiated in the rain-affected regions through the video conference from his home office Krishna. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagalur, Shivamogga, Kodagu, and Hassan districts. Since Saturday, the department has issued yellow alerts for these districts for three days. Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Bidar districts of north Karnataka were also given yellow alerts for the next 72 hours. According to the Meteorological Department, the state has received 94 percent excess rain during July. Holiday has been declared in schools and educational institutions in the coastal as well as hilly regions of the state. Three laborers died due to a landslide in Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday. The people are facing the threat of floods in the Krishna and Cauvery River basin areas.