Birds face grave threat as water level rises

With more than 1.2 lakh cusecs being released from the KRS dam into Cauvery river, the historical Wellesley bridge is facing the threat of being washed away. If additional water is released into the river, the 30-ft-tall bridge may get submerged. The bridge was the only connecting road between Bengaluru and Mysuru for around 160 years.

The Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is closed for visitors as the islands in the sanctuary got submerged due to rising water level, threatening the lives of birds nesting there.

An helpline (0823-224888, 1077) has been opened for the benefit of the public, SP Shivaprakash Devaraj said.

Incessant rains for the past one month have wreaked havoc in Hassan district. Heavy downpour has created huge cracks at several points on Mageri Road and vehicular movement has been affected between Sakleshpur and Somwarpet of Hethuru hobli.

With heavy rains in Kodagu district, River Cauvery is in spate at Ramanathapura, in Arkalgud taluk. Several houses and schools have been inundated.

Water has entered more than 10 houses and people have been shifted to a safer place. The overflowing Hemavathy river has inundated wide tracts of paddy fields at Sooranahalli and Nagalapura in Holenarasipur. As the Malnad region continues to get heavy rain, the inflow into the Hemavathy river has increased. The Yagachi reservoir has filled after four years and water is being released into the river.