Udupi: Around 130 buildings, mostly houses, were partially or fully damaged in rain accompanied by gusty winds and lightning in Udupi district since May 27, Sunday night. The total loss owing to damages to these buildings is estimated at Rs. 51.73 lakh.

According to sources in the district administration, the number of buildings partially damaged in Kundapur taluk was 53, and the financial damage is estimated at Rs. 21 lakh. The number of houses damaged in Udupi taluk was 37 and the damages to all these houses taken together is estimated at Rs. 16.78 lakh. In Kaup taluk, 37 buildings were damaged, and the loss is estimated at Rs. 11 lakh. In Brahmavar taluk, eight buildings weredamaged and the loss estimate is Rs. 2.95 lakh.

In many cases, it was the trees near the houses which fell on them, while in some cases strong winds blew the tiles off the roofs of buildings and houses.

As many as 183 electricity poles were uprooted in different parts of the district since Sunday night. The trees also fell on electricity poles in most places, while in some places the insulators on the poles were damaged by lightning. This led to power outages in many places in the district.

Narasimha Pandit, superintending engineer of MESCOM, Udupi district, said the worst-affected areas were in the Karkala–Hebri belt because of trees or branches falling on them. In some places, high-tension and low-tension wires were cut off.

“We have been restoring the lines. We have also provided power supply from alternative routes. Due to lightning, insulators on the poles are punctured. The restoration of electricity poles is going on, but it is getting hampered by intermittent rains,” he said.

In Manipal alone, 12 poles were damaged by trees falling on them. Martandappa R. Kariappanavar, assistant executive engineer, MESCOM, Manipal, said already 10 poles have been replaced.Trees had fallen in nearly 14 places, and the affected areas include Budnar, Paniyadi, Sagri, Chakra Tirtha, and Saralebettu. “We have managed to restore power supply in all most places,” he said.

We have been restoring the lines. We have also provided power supply from alternative routes said Narasimha Pandit,superintending engineer, MESCOM, Udupi district