BELAGAVI: Even as the rainfall across all flood-prone areas in the district has subsided, the flood threat still looms large due to the release of water into Krishna from dams in neighbouring Maharashtra for the last two days.
At least 22 flood-prone villages on the border have turned into islands with the rise in water level at Krishna river. Owing to drastic flow of water from the dams of Maharashtra, a large extent of sugarcane fields are totally inundated.
Meanwhile Rudragouda Patil (55) from Savadi village, Athani taluk was washed away in swelling Krishna river when he was busy with his family in moving the household items out of his flooded house.
The family of Patil was badly affected by the floods in the village and had decided to to move to a safer area when the tragedy struck.Sources said, “the teams of NDRF and police have launched an operation to search for his body. However, until late Monday, the teams were still busy searching his body in the river around Savadi village.”
Besides getting all the people from 22 flooded villages shifted to safer areas or relief centres, the local administration was trying to coordinate with officials of Maharashtra to keep a tab on the release of water from the dams into Krishna.Several relief centres have been set up closer to all the affected villages in Athani taluk and necessary facilities being provided to the people inside.
According to the sources, sugarcane grown in about 15,000 acres has been under water in the flooded areas and that more agricultural lands would be affected if the release of water continued.
SITUATION GRIM IN VIILLAGES NEAR KRISHNA
Bagalkot: The situation still remains grim in the villages located alongside Krishna river as 10 more villages were hit by floods in the district on Monday. With 10 more villages affected by floods in Jamkhandi taluk, the tally of flood affected villages in the district touched 31, with Jamkhandi being the worst-affected taluk as 19 villages in the region have been flooded.
With the help of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) the district administration carried out the rescue operation in at least three villages of Jamkhandi. A team of SDRF has been kept on stand by as the water level continues to surge in Krishna river leading to threat of floods at few more villages.
Speaking to TNIE, Prashanth C, Tahsildhar of Jamkhandi, pointed that, “There is no sign of water levels receding in Krishna. Inflow of 3.92 lakh cusec has been recorded at Hipparagi barrage. This increasing trend has put few villages in danger. The water levels are expected to rise for another 24 hours before coming down. The people are being moved to safer places and accommodated in relief centers.”
Meanwhile, the people dwelling alongside Ghataprabha River heaved a sigh of relief as the water level in the same river is dipping gradually. The inflow to Ghataprabha has come down by nearly 30,000 cusec in the last 24 hours. On Sunday morning the inflow was around one lakh cusecs and which came down to 70,000 cusecs on Monday evening.
According to the district administration, “A total of 31 villages have been hit by floods. In order to provide shelter and food to affected people as many as 31 relief centers have been opened accommodating 2,933 people.”