JOIN USUnrelenting rain in the Sahyadris of Maharashtra has turned the flood situation in Krishna basin in Karnataka grim.
A flood alert has been sounded in Belagavi, Bagalkot, Yadgir and Raichur districts following heavy inflows into the Krishna river from Koyna and Rajapur reservoirs of south Maharashtra.
On Sunday, inflows into Krishna stood at 2.40 lakh cusec. Over 2.85 lakh cusec was let out of Almatti dam. The quantum of outflow is expected to go further up.
The overflowing Krishna has already inundated vast tracts of agriculture and horticulture lands and thrown life out of gear in several towns and villages on its banks. The situation will only turn precarious if showers refuse to subside in Maharashtra.
More than 25 bridges in Belagavi district, including the busy Kudachi bridge on Jamkhandi-Miraj inter-state road, are completely submerged.
Over 850 people and hundreds of cattle in the affected villages in Chikkodi, Athani, Raibag and Kagwad taluks have been shifted to safety. Around 15 people stranded at Adavisiddeshwara Mutt near Kundargi in Gokak taluks have been rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel.
The district administration has set up gruel centres for the flood-displaced at several villages in the three worst-hit taluks of Chikkodi, Kagwad and Athani.
"NDRF team, 90 armymen, police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel have been deployed in the affected areas. The district administration is geared up to tackle the flood situation," Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanahalli told DH.
With Krishna and Malaprabha flowing in full steam, the historic Sangamanath Temple in Kudalasangama, located along the backwaters of Narayanpur, is facing flood threat.
Several villages in Muddebihal taluk (in Vijayapura district) and Raichur and Yadgir districts have been turned into islands following the heavy discharge of water from Basava Sagara (Narayanpur) reservoir.
Paddy, tur and cotton crops on thousands of acres in Yadgir have been damaged.
Eshwar and Basaveshwara temples on the banks of Krishna at Devasugur in Raichur district are inundated. The Huvinahedagi bridge on Raichur-Kalaburagi stretch is still under water. Kurvakula and Kurumagadde in Raichur taluk have been cut off.
NDRF teams from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, have been roped in for rescue operations in Raichur district.
Meanwhile, monsoon showers resumed in coastal districts, Malnad, Kodagu and many parts of north interior Karnataka with vigour on Sunday. However, a rather prolonged dry spell in south interior Karnataka continued.