HUBBALLI: A cattle grazer, who was stuck on an island in the Kali River in Uttara Kannada district after heavy discharge from the Supa dam, was rescued in a dramatic operation that started late on Tuesday night, and went on till early Wednesday.
District administration officials and expert swimmers from an adventure company ensured that the cattle grazer, Jannu Gavade, was rescued.
Earlier, Gavade’s family was worried as he had not returned home till late in the evening. When they went looking for him, they found him crying for help on the island, which was surrounded by gushing waters.
On Tuesday, 10,000 cusecs of water was released from the Supa dam, and the Bommanahalli dam, which is downstream, too opened its gates after the water level rose. The Bommanahalli reservoir had sounded the alarm twice on Tuesday. But unaware of the warning, Gavade continued to graze his cattle on the island. Though dam authorities reduced the discharge, the water was still too deep to take up the rescue operation.
The administration sought the help of Manasa Adventures in Ganeshgudi, which sent 10 expert rafters. The group went in the raft to the island and brought Gavade back to safety early Wednesday morning.