Flood situation remains grim in Krishna basin

Man washed away in a stream in Belagavi district; crops on 5,847 hectares in five districts damaged

August 05, 2019 01:32 am | Updated 01:32 am IST - Belagavi/Vijayapura/Yadgir

The bridge across the Krishna at Kollur in Yadgir district on the verge of being submerged on Sunday.

The bridge across the Krishna at Kollur in Yadgir district on the verge of being submerged on Sunday.

Flood situation remained grim in north Karnataka districts on Sunday as water level in the Krishna and its tributaries rose, inundating several villages and bridges. Continued heavy rain in the catchment area of the Krishna is now a concern as more villages face the threat of flooding.

On Saturday, Shivanand Shankar Nayak, a coconut seller, got washed away in a stream at Adeppa Ankalagi village in Belagavi district.

A farmer carrying a calf while crossing a bridge in Kudchi.

A farmer carrying a calf while crossing a bridge in Kudchi.

On Sunday, as the State government took stock of the situation in Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Yadgir, and Raichur districts which have been affected by the release of huge quantum of water into the Krishna and its tributaries by Maharashtra.

Daily release from the seven reservoirs in the Krishna and Warana basins in Maharashtra reached the rate of 2.31 lakh cusecs by Sunday evening. If sustained for 24 hours, it would amount to 20 tmcft of water. Villages along the Krishna in Yadgir and Raichur districts remained on high alert as the outflow from Narayanpur reservoir increased to the rate of nearly 3 lakh cusecs.

In all, crops on 5,847 hectares have been damaged in the five districts and people in 19 habitations have been shifted to safer locations. Nearly 50 km of roads have been damaged and 2,571 electricity poles have crashed in Belagavi alone.

In the worst-affected Belagavi, district administration’s preliminary estimates put crop damage on about 900 hectares while as many as 25 bridges and barrages are under water. However, commuters are using alternative routes. Nearly 170 families in Ingali, Yadurwadi, Manjari, Saptasagar, Naganur, Ingalgaon, and Shiarahatti villages have been shifted.

Two columns of the Maratha Light Infantry, comprising 50 rescuers and 50 engineering task force personnel, have been deployed for rescue operations.

NDRF team rescuing people from Adavisiddeshwar Mutt in Kundaragi village.

NDRF team rescuing people from Adavisiddeshwar Mutt in Kundaragi village.

Equipped with boats, and other materials, NDRF personnel shifted to safety 15 persons, including a temple priest, who were stranded at Adavisiddeshwar Mutt in Kundaragi village as the water level in the Markandeya, a tributary of the Krishna, increased.

The district administration has opened 14 relief centres to provide temporary shelter to the affected families. The centres are in Ingali, Yadur, Shivagur, Jugal Shahapur, Radevatti, Saptargaon, Nagnur, and Barawada villages.

“Most of the affected families have gone to the houses of their relatives. But some are taking shelter in the centres. The police and other personnel are on duty round the clock,” Superintendent of Police Lakshman Nimbargi told The Hindu .

Residents of two villages have been shifted to safer places. A high alert has been sounded in 32 villages, and warnings have also been issued in other 37 villages on the banks of the Krishna. Residents of Jugal and surrounding villages have to be shifted to safer locations.

“Maharashtra is releasing water at the rate of 2.31 lakh cusecs every day. That is expected to increase the water level in the Krishna by four feet,” Deputy Commissioner S.B. Bommanahalli said.

In Yadgir district, road connectivity between Deodurg and Shahpur was cut off after a bridge near Kollur village in Shahpur taluk was submerged when water at the rate of 2.71 lakh cusecs was discharged from Basavasagar reservoir at Narayanpur. People in 12 hamlets, located close to the Krishna, are expected to be affected if the rate of water release is stepped up.

Holiday for schools

The increased inflow into the Krishna has turned villages such as Sharpali and Muttur in Jamkhandi and Nandagaon in Mudhol in Bagalkot districts into islands. The district administration has declared holiday for schools in Nandagaon, Muttur, and Tubachi, also in Jamkhandi taluk, from August 5 to 7 as a precaution. In Vijayapura district, water has entered fields located close to the Almatti dam.

Following increased discharged from Basavasagar reservoir, six islands in the Krishna in Raichur district have been completely cut off from the mainland.

Road connectivity between Sheelahalli and Hanchinal, Yaragodi and Lingsugur, Deodurg and Shahapur was cut off after bridges across the Krishna near Sheelahalli, Yaragodi, and Hunadagi got submerged.

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