The bridge across the Krishna River at Kuduchi in Raibag taluk of Belagavi district connecting Kuduchi and Ugar KH in Kagwad taluk and serving as a vital road link to Maharashtra, has been submerged by rising river waters, forcing people to take longer alternative routes to reach Maharashtra.
Credit: DH Photo
Belagavi: Flood threat has been looming large across villages and towns along the banks of the Krishna and Ghataprabha rivers in the district due to heavy rain in their catchment areas and increased water discharge from dams in Maharashtra. On Wednesday, the inflow into the Krishna river surged to 1,47,930 cusecs, while the Ghataprabha river’s flow crossed 65,694 cusecs, both exceeding danger levels. Officials expect a further sharp rise in the Krishna’s inflow within the next 24 hours.
Continuous rains in the Western Ghats and in the catchments of the Krishna and its tributaries have caused river levels to breach the danger mark. Several low-lying bridges in Nippani and Chikkodi taluks have been submerged by the swollen river waters. Notably, the vital bridge across the Krishna river at Kuduchi in Raibag taluk, which connects Kuduchi and Ugar KH in Kagwad taluk and serves as a key road link to Maharashtra, has submerged for the second time this monsoon season.
The Krishna river’s inflow at Kallol barrage in Chikkodi taluk stood at 1,47,930 cusecs, comprising 1,16,250 cusecs from Rajapur barrage in Maharashtra and 31,680 cusecs from its tributary, the Doodhganga river. This marked an increase of 34,780 cusecs compared to Tuesday’s 5 pm reading of 1,13,150 cusecs.
Increased inflow into Hidal dam
Meanwhile, heavy rains in the Ghataprabha catchment has increased water inflow into the Hidkal dam. The inflow was recorded at 30,308 cusecs, with outflow rising to 35,462 cusecs. The dam has reached its full storage capacity of 51 TMC. Additionally, the combined inflows from the Hiranyakeshi and Markandeya rivers, along with the Ballari nallah downstream, have pushed the Ghataprabha river flow at Lolsur bridge in Gokak to 65,694 cusecs. While the bridge remains above water, the river has flooded beyond its banks into residential and market areas of Gokak town.
Low-lying bridges across Chikkodi, Nippani, Hukkeri, Gokak, and Mudalagi taluks are submerged, and several religious sites located near riverbanks have been marooned due to rising water levels.
The Malaprabha river has also seen increased inflow following rains in its catchment. The Malaprabha dam recorded an inflow of 16,752 cusecs and an outflow of 12,794 cusecs, with water storage reaching 25.932 TMC against its maximum capacity of 37.731 TMC. The swollen river has overflowed its banks, submerging the bridge at Munavalli town in Savadatti taluk.