Rivers swell as rains continue to lash Karnataka

Heavy rainfall has triggered flood-like situation in Karnataka and Bhima, Krishna and Panchganga rivers have swollen up. The water level in most of the dams and barrages have risen and most of the districts are submerged in floods.

Bengaluru: Heavy rainfall in Karnataka has become a matter of grave concern in districts with Bhima, Krishna and Panchganga rivers in spate. The state has been battling with heavy rainfall for the last five days and army, the national and state disaster response forces undertook rescue work, evacuating hundreds of marooned people. Many villages in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Vijayapura and Raichur districts are either completely or partially submerged due to floods triggered by incessant rainfall last week.

Despite warnings of heavy rains, the Water Resources Department remained reluctant to release water from the Ujani dam at the right time. The water level of the dams and barrages rose after 250 mm of rainfall was recorded on October 13th.

Officers stated river Bhima continued to stay in spate in Kalaburagi, Vijayapura and Yadgir districts whereas the surging Krishna river affected villages in Raichur.

Bhima, the main tributary of Krishna, has been in spate for the previous one week on account of heavy rains in neighbouring Maharashtra and in components of Karnataka.

The river was flowing 4.45 metres above the hazard stage and 1.61 metres above its earlier Highest Flood Degree, the Central Water Fee in a replace stated.

After torrential rains occurred in Pune and Ujjain, the administration was left with no option but to release the excess water from the dams. There are nearly 22 dams and 30 barrages constructed on Bhima river.

Due to the excessive amount of rainfall, twenty-two lakh cusecs of water instead of ten thousand was released. Floods in Karnataka have left behind a huge trail of destruction, lost huge hectares of crops and left millions of families homeless.

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If the management of the Ujani 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.

In keeping with the Karnataka Catastrophe Administration Authority (KDMA), a complete of 20,269 folks, together with 15,078 in badly-hit Kalaburgi, have been evacuated to this point by the personnel of the Military, the Nationwide Catastrophe Response Power (NDRF) and the State Catastrophe Response Power (SDRF) moreover native police and district authorities.

There was no loss to human lives wherever within the flood-hit areas whereas two cattle died in Vijayapura, KDMA Commissioner Manoj Rajan stated.

“Two NDRF, one SDRF and one Military column have been deployed in Kalaburagi whereas two Indian Air Power helicopters are on standby. Equally, the NDRF and the Military personnel are deployed in different three districts. The scenario is beneath management,” Rajan instructed.

Yediyurappa stated the floods have additionally resulted in injury to the crops. Expressing solidarity with the flood-hit folks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the state of cooperation from the Centre.

That is the third time Karnataka has been hit by floods previously three months following heavy monsoon rains.

READ: Heavy rains cause crop and property losses in Karnataka

With PTI inputs