Krishna, Malaprabha unleash flood fury in N-K districts

With the Malaprabha river unleashing its destructive force, people of hundreds of villages on the banks of swollen Malaprabha river in Bagalkot, Gadag and Belagavi districts are spending sleepless nights.

Malaprabha river and Tuppari Halla rendered Saundatti town into an island. Road connectivity from the temple town has been cut off as Malaprabha is flowing over Munavalli bridge while overflowing Tuppari Halla has damaged Inamhongal bridge.

Many villages in Belagavi district still remain under Malaprabha waters.

More than 270 people stranded at the World Heritage site Pattadakal were rescued by the armymen and NDRF personnel using boats and rafts procured from Goa, on Saturday.

People took shelter on the rooftop of temples and monuments since Friday morning, waiting for help to arrive. The rescue team could not conduct operations on Friday for want of boats and equipment.

Swollen Malaprabha has completely submerged Kudalasangama, an important pilgrimage centre for Lingayats, and over 28 villages in Hungund taluk.

A 30-member NDRF team faced flood fury at Kudalasangama on Saturday.

The rescue personnel were evacuated from Sangameshwara choultry, where they were staying after the water level in Malaprabha rose drastically.

Kamatagi town is completely submerged. Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was supposed to visit the town to take stock of the flood, dropped her plans after she twisted her ankle.

A vast tract of agricultural lands on the basins of Malaprabha, Ghataprabha and Krishna in Bagalkot district has been submerged

Bhima in spate

While Malaprabha is wreaking havoc in Belagavi and Bagalkot districts, Krishna and Bhima have left a trail of destruction in Yadgir and Raichur districts.
On Saturday, a whopping 5.57 lakh cusec water was released downstream from Almatti.

With discharge from Basava Sagar (Narayanpur) reservoir reaching record proportions, the flood situation downstream Krishna has worsened. The volume of inflow is such that rescue team, comprising men from defence forces, NDRF and the officers, has stuck in floodwaters in Lingasugur taluk.

Krishna river which is flowing in two branches in the taluk has turned many villages into islands. For the first time, the 50-year-old Jaladurg bridge has been submerged.

According to the officials in charge of the rescue operations, “Foodgrains and provision stock can last for another four to five days. If the quantum of outflow from Narayanpur continues, the personnel have to use choppers to airlift the villagers stranded in the marooned villages.”

The situation is even worse in Raichur taluk, where Bhima joins Krishna. A whopping 7.5 lakh cusec of water flowing in the river.

The Huvina Hedige bridge on Devadurg-Shahpur route continues to remain underwater. The busy bridge is off-limits for traffic for the past one week.

Floodwaters have entered the Impact Pumphouse on Raichur Thermal Power Station premises at Shaktinagar.

Overflowing Bhima has inundated several temples in Kalaburagi district, including Dattatreya Temple at Deval Ganagapur and Ashtateerth, Bhaktisthana, Karmasthana, Muktisthana and Audumbar Vruksha Katte at Bhima-Amarja confluence.