Rain recedes, but no let-up in floods in Uttara Kannada, Krishna basin

Villagers walk in flood to save those stranded at Tavadagaddi in Lingsugur taluk in Raichur district. Credit: DH Photo

A Hescom lineman swims to reach an electricity pole marooned in tank water at Chikkonati near Hamsabhavi in Haveri district on Saturday, retrieves the electricity supply by repairing the power line, and swims back to safety. Credit: DH Photo

The intensity of rain has come down drastically, but the flood situation in Uttara Kannada and Krishna basin districts remained grim.

The swollen rivers and heavy discharge from reservoirs have cut off many villages, submerged acres of crops and damaged houses and road infrastructure.

With inflows from Maharashtra clocking over 2.75 lakh cusec, Krishna river and its tributaries have created havoc in basin districts.

The Pune-Bengaluru (NH-4) highway has remained closed for traffic at Yamgarni in Nippani taluk due to the flooding by the overflowing Vedganga. Also, the swollen Hiranyakeshi river has thrown traffic out of gear on NH-4 at Sankeshwar. Landslides and mudslips on Belagavi-Panaji highway near Londa have affected the vehicular movement between Belagavi and Uttara Kannada.

Also read: Karnataka gets 11% more rainfall than normal, first in 50 years: KSNDMC

NDRF and police personnel moved scores of stranded villagers, including a pregnant woman, in Chikkodi and Nippani taluks. Ghataprabha and Markandeya rivers have flooded several residential areas in Gokak town and surround villages. Chikkoli and Lolasur bridges have been submerged. Acres of sugarcane and maize crops have been inundated.

Belagavi Deputy Commissioner M G Hiremath said that 19,035 persons, trapped in flooded villages in the district, have been rescued and shifted to safer places. A total of 8,795 persons have taken shelter in the 89 relief centres established in the district.

Hiremath said that two deaths have been reported and traffic movement on 37 roads has been stopped.

Thupprihalla and Bennihalla, notorious for flash floods, have wreaked havoc on crops in Dharwad and Gadag districts while the Varada river has unleashed a flood fury in the Haveri district.

Also read: Elderly woman washed away in floodwaters

Many villages downstream Almatti and Narayanapur reservoirs in Raichur and Lingasugur taluks have been turned into islands following a massive 3 lakh-plus cusec discharge. Huvinahedagi bridge in Devadurg taluk - a major road link between Raichur and Kalaburagi - has gone under the floodwaters of Krishna.

81 U-K villages hit

Meanwhile, the overflowing Aghanashini, Gangavali and Kali rivers have left a trail of destruction in Uttara Kannada, where 81 villages have gone under floodwaters. Also, 30 bridges and over 50 houses were completely damaged in the deluge. Four people were killed and three have gone missing in the downpour-triggered flash floods, according to the district administration.