Rain hits normal life in Karwar tq

For the last two days, incessant rains have been lashing the taluk. If the rains continue, there is a possibility of floods in Gangavali River of Ankola taluk. The surrounding villages face the danger of inundation.

Already residents of Honnekeri, Keni and Kasabakeni villages have been shifted to gruel centres. Cracks have developed on the walls of a house in Shirawad village and two houses in Amadalli village of Karwar taluk.

The courtyards and backyards of several houses at Idur in Chendia gram panchayat are inundated. Deputy Commissioner B N Krishnaiah visited the villages and instructed the tahsildar to shift all residents to the gruel centres.

The Naval Base police have shifted the residents to gruel centres in rubber boats.

However, most of them are unwilling to leave their villages. “Every year this is the same fate. During monsoon, we are shifted to gruel centres. We will rather be drowned in our villages, but not shift to gruel centres,” the villagers say.

Thousands of acres of paddy fields have been inundated, due to copious rains in Uttar Kannada district. Kali, Aghanashini, Sharavati, Gundabaal, Badagani and Venkatapur rivers are swelling. The taluk administration has alerted villagers on the banks to move to safer places.

The Seabird Naval Base at Idur, spread over hundreds of acres, is completely swamped by water. After discussing with Seabird officials, Idur Tahsildar Basavaraju inspected the premises on Saturday morning.

The compound wall of the Naval Base was demolished to let the water out. Deputy Commissioner Krishnaiah said once the rains subside, a permanent solution for the problem of flooding would be found, after discussing with the Naval Base officials.

In Almatti

There is an increase in the flow of water into Almatti dam due to copious rains in the last two days in Belgaum district.

The maximum water level in the dam is 519.6 metres (1704.8 feet), while the water level in the dam stood at 518 metres (1699.6) Saturday evening.

The dam is now just five feet short of the maximum capacity. While the reservoir has a capacity of 123 tmc ft, it presently has 98 tmc ft of water.

There is an inflow of 30,804 cusecs of water into the dam. Since the crest gates of the dam are not yet open, the backwaters are spreading on a larger area. The water inflow into the dam is going to rise on Sunday too, due to extensive rainfall in Belgaum district and Krishna catchment area. If there is continuous inflow of water for the next couple of days, then the dam will reach its full capacity, said officials. Once water from the dam is released, power production will resume in the Almatti hydel plant.