Bhatkal: Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds on Saturday and Sunday evenings disrupted normal life across Bhatkal taluk, damaging electricity infrastructure and houses in several areas, while prolonged power outages triggered public anger in parts of the town.
In Rahmatabad near Jamia Abad Road, trees reportedly fell on electric lines on Saturday evening, bringing down two electricity poles and disrupting power supply to Rahmatabad, Hanifabad, Firdous Nagar, Meena Road and nearby localities.
Residents said nearly 200 houses have remained without electricity since Saturday evening. According to locals, HESCOM officials informed them that complete restoration work could be taken up only on Monday due to the Sunday holiday.
Residents expressed displeasure over the delay in restoring power supply, questioning the preparedness of the electricity department to handle emergency situations. Many remarked that in Bhatkal, power cuts are increasingly becoming a routine affair, whether it rains or not.
HESCOM Assistant Engineer Manjunath said a total of 26 electric poles had collapsed across Bhatkal taluk, including Shirali and Murdeshwar areas, following Saturday evening’s rain and strong winds. He said restoration work and installation of new poles were in progress, adding that electricity supply had been restored to several parts of Jamia Abad Road by Sunday afternoon. He assured that power supply in the remaining affected areas would be restored by Monday.
Meanwhile, a major accident was narrowly averted in Shirali village when an electric pole collapsed onto a scooter on Kottebagilu Hospital Road during the storm. The rider, identified as 35-year-old Venkatramana Masti Naik of Mood Shirali, sustained injuries and reportedly lost consciousness at the spot. Local residents shifted him to Bhatkal Government Hospital before he was referred to a hospital in Manipal for further treatment.
Sources later said he recovered and returned home after treatment.
The nearly half-an-hour rain also caused damage to houses and cattle sheds in several villages across the taluk. In Mallikana Kaikini area, a coconut tree fell on a cattle shed belonging to Venkatramana Berma Naik, damaging the structure. In Gudihittal area of Shirali-1 village, a wild tree fell on the house of Abdul Aziz, causing partial damage.
Similar incidents were reported from Hallerakeri in Mundalli village, Kekkod, Heble and Talgod villages, where coconut, jackfruit and mango trees fell on rooftops, partially damaging several houses. However, no casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
Revenue department officials visited the affected areas and initiated damage assessment and relief procedures.