Heavy currents washed away a schoolgirl in Belagavi taking the total number of casualties there to eight so far while nine villages in Dharwad district were completely flooded by 8 am on Thursday. Shilpa Siddappa Manguli, 12, a fifth standard student died while she was crossing a stream in Nagara Munnolli village on Thursday.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa who rushed back to Karnataka cutting short his New Delhi trip announced the formation of four teams led by BJP leaders to overlook relief and rescue operations in the absence of a cabinet. "Four teams of BJP workers and leaders led by myself, Jagadish Shettar, KS Eshwarappa and Shobha Karandlaje will review the situation," Yediyurappa told reporters on Thursday morning.
NDRF teams have been continuously evacuating people from inundated villages. Hassan district authorities declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Thursday too following continuous heavy rain.
More water was released from dams including Harangi and TB reservoir in Hospet threatening more flooding. Floodwaters from the Cauvery river gushed into Kushalnagar marooning many parts. With the increase in the outflow of water from Sonna bridge cum barrage to Bhima river, over 26 villages of Kalaburagi district are facing the immediate threat of floods.
Speaking to the press at Ganagapur after inspecting the overflow of water on a bridge there, Kalburagi Deputy Commissioner R Venkateshkumar said that all steps have been taken to shift the residents of 26 villages to safer places. A team of Army personnel is expected to reach Kalaburagi district from Hyderabad in the evening, he said. The DC visited bridge cum barrages of Ganagapur and Ghattarga along with Gulbarga MP Dr Umesh Jadhav, Afzalpur MLA M Y Patil and Jewargi MLA Dr Ajay Singh.
500 families were evacuated from Mudol taluk after waters from Ghataprabha inundated most parts. Local residents recall that the last such flood occurred 25 years ago in 1994. Red flags were placed on top of the Bethri bridge to alert motorists of the flood situation. Rescue personnel were able to evacuate a couple stranded atop a tree at Kabalapur near Belagavi for three days.