Floods threaten South Karnataka as rains intensify

Flood fury continued unabated in North Karnataka even as Malnad and the coast braced for heavy rain which has so far claimed seven lives and destroyed standing crops in lakhs of acres in the state.

The situation is particularly worrying along the Cauvery and Tungabhadra catchment areas, which are at a risk of floods after having been pounded by torrential rain for the past few days.

The downpour and raging rivers have marooned several villagers, with a total of 43,858 people being evacuated till date.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who is camping in Belagavi, said Rs 5,000 crore was required for flood relief and rehabilitation. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued more bad news in the form of a red alert for coastal and Malnad districts, predicting two more days of intense rainfall.

The floods in the Krishna basin have destroyed 1.48 lakh hectares of crops of which 1.36 lakh hectares was in Belagavi district alone.

Copious inflows into Kabini reservoir due to heavy rain in Wayanad district in Kerala have also set off alarm bells. With the dam receiving an inflow in excess of one lakh cusecs, a red alert has been sounded in low-lying areas near the banks of the river. Very heavy rainfall is forecast for Wayanad for the next two days.

Regions downstream of Almatti and Narayanapura dams were at a greater risk of inundation as 4.5 lakh cusecs of water was being released into Krishna river. Villages around Krishna-Bhima Sangam, near Deosugur in Raichur district, risk going under water as two lakh cusecs of water from River Bhima will also reach the Sangam, increasing the inflow into the river.

Damages have also been reported along the banks of river Tungabhadra.

Bus and train services disrupted

With tracks under water and roads hit by landslides, the downpour has disrupted both bus and train services towards Mangaluru and north Karnataka.

More than 8,000 reserved tickets in KSRTC buses have been cancelled in two days. Eight trains on Mangaluru route have been cancelled for two to three days following heavy landslides in Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Ghat section.

To address the crisis, KSRTC and other transport service providers are running additional buses along other routes unaffected by floods.

Considering the humanitarian crisis at hand, the Directorate of Health and Family Services cancelled all leaves of its employees in flood-hit districts till August 15. The state government has opened 272 relief camps. A total of 2,611 houses were damaged due to the floods.

Seven dead

The rainfall and floods have claimed seven deaths in different parts of the State. While a farmer was washed away by Bhima river near Yadgir, a 10-year old girl drowned near Chikkodi in Belagavi.

Apart from it, two people lost their lives in Dharwad district, one each in Udupi, Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts.