Hundreds of acres flooded as lake overflows near Karnataka's Kunigal bypass

More than 200 acres of agricultural land has been inundated as the Kunigal Chikkakere lake overflowed and NH 75 acted as a barrier, while the forecast of intense rain in the next four days has put the farmers in the area on the tenterhooks.

Farmers said the incident happened following heavy rain late on Monday. The Chikkakere started overflowing into some of the nearby fields. The entire stretch of the service road is inundated.

"The concrete pipe under the national highway proved to be too small to channel the water to the southern side. Water started stagnating at the mouth and soon, all the surrounding lands were inundated," farmer Bhimaih H, a farmer, told DH.

According to farmers, standing crops were under water for more than 24 hours. "Crops like marigold and chrysanthemum have been destroyed. Considering the festival days, its a loss of lakhs of rupees," he added.

An official in the Taluk Panchayat said the lake has overflown after a gap of 20 years. "If the water stagnates for 24 hours, the Tahsildar will conduct the survey to assess the damage. Meanwhile, we will alert the minor irrigation department to look for immediate measures to provide relief to the farmers," he said.

Farmers said a box-type culvert would have helped in reducing the inundation. "Before the construction of the highway, the water would have flown downstream. Now, the road acts as an embankment with a small outlet which is blocked by the weed and other materials. A box-type culvert with bigger vents would have ensured better water flow and saved hundreds of acres," another farmer said.

NHAI regional officer M K Wathore said he has instructed the official concerned to conduct a spot inspection. "The amount of rain is similar to a cloud burst, which nobody predicted. Necessary action will be taken after the inspection of the site. The inspection will also assess if there is a need for a bigger culvert," he said.