Hyderabad: Incessant rains in Karnataka in the last few days is likely to cause flooding in several low-lying areas. Alerts were issued as levels of Panchganga, Warna and Krishna rivers rose due to heavy rains.
''Due to heavy rains in the region, the water level of Krishna, Warna is increasing,'' said an official.
Kolhapur district and Solapur is experiencing heavy showers for the last few days.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has sent two teams as a preemptive measure.
There are major dams on these rivers and their tributaries like Koyna, Ujani, Radhanagari, Warna, Bhatghar, Mulshi, Varasgaon etc.
In Gulbarga, the water level in Bhima threatened to inundate villages due to increasing discharge from dams in Maharashtra.
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Despite warnings of heavy rains, the Water Resources Department expressed reluctance to release water from the fully-filled Ujjani dam at adequate capacity on time.
The water level of the dam was more than 111 per cent. On the night of 13th October, 250 mm rain was recorded. The next day, torrential rains lashed the catchment areas of Pune and Ujjain as forecasted by the meteorological department.
The administration has no choice but to release all the excess water from the dam. Over 2.3 lakh cusecs of water were discharged from Sonna Barrage.
4 lakh cusecs of water were released from Ujjani and Veer Dam. Thirteen years later, the floods on the Bhima River have cost agriculture billions of rupees and left hundreds of families homeless. Villages along the Bhima have been put on alert.
However, if the management of the Ujjani dam had heeded the warning given by the meteorological department, the floods and the damage caused by them could have been avoided, experts said.
Similarly, Koyna, Radhanagari, Warna, Bhatghar, Mulshi and Varasgaon dams have received heavy rains this year. Also, after the return rains, the water level has risen sharply. Therefore, a large amount of water is being released from each of these dams.
About 300 TMC of water flows through the Bhima river. A total of 22 dams and 30 barrages have been constructed on this river. Ujani is the largest dam. The Bhima river joins the river Krishna on the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Therefore all the water of Bhima goes to the state of Karnataka through Krishna.
Karnataka and Maharashtra have been receiving heavy rainfall from the past week resulting in increased water levels at Sonna barrage built on Bhima river.
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