BELAGAVI/VIJAYAPURA/CHIKKMAMAGALURU/SHIVAMOGGA: Torrential rainfall in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra has caused the Krishna, Vedaganga and Dudhganga rivers to swell, triggering flood-like conditions in the bordering taluks of Chikkodi and Nippani in Karnataka. The sudden rise in water levels has submerged several key bridges, disrupting traffic and cutting off road connectivity between villages.
Near Kallol in Chikkodi taluk, the Krishna river is receiving nearly 60,000 cusecs of inflow. Additionally, around 40,000 cusecs of water is being released from the Rajapur Barrage in Maharashtra, further increasing the river’s discharge. The heavy inflow has completely submerged the low-level bridge connecting Kallol and Yadur villages. The Rajapur–Jugal bridge in neighbouring Maharashtra has also gone under water due to the swelling river.
Rivers flowing above danger level in Nippani taluk
Floodwaters have also affected Nippani taluk, where the Dudhganga and Vedaganga rivers are flowing above the danger level. Three major bridges in the region have been submerged, disrupting transportation between several villages.
The Karadaga–Bhoj and Bhojawadi–Kunnur bridges across the Dudhganga river have been submerged, while water is flowing over the Barawad–Kannur bridge on the Vedaganga river. Officials have warned that river levels may rise further in the coming days.
Continuous heavy rainfall over the past four days in the Western Ghats and the Kanakumbi forest region of Khanapur has also led to a significant rise in the Malaprabha river. The historic Maruti Temple on the outskirts of Habbanatti village has been partially inundated by floodwaters.
Crest gates of Tunga reservoir opened
The Tunga reservoir also witnessed substantial inflows. The reservoir level stood at 587.86 metres, close to its FRL of 588.24 metres. The reservoir received a total inflow of 21,747 cusecs, while the total outflow was 23,784 cusecs. Considering the water inflow into the reservoir, the authorities have also opened 11 crest gates of the reservoir since Sunday. On Monday, the authorities also released water into the Tunga river, increasing the water level.
Heavy rain wreaks havoc on NH-75
Vehicular traffic on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway-75 was disrupted for over two hours on Monday after a massive tree, uprooted by heavy rain and gusty winds, crashed onto the roadway near Doddatappale village in Sakleshpur taluk.
A joint task force comprising Revenue, Forest, PWD, and Transport department officials rushed to the spot and successfully restored traffic movement. The downpour, which has been lashing the Maranahalli and Gundia regions in the Western Ghats continuously since Monday morning, has created hazardous driving conditions.
In several spots along the same stretch of the highway, vehicles skidded off the highway and crashed into roadside dividers. No casualties have been reported so far.
RAINS LASH MALNAD; HOUSES DAMAGED
Heavy rain has also been lashing Malnad since Saturday, causing damage to properties in some places. A tree fell on the house of one Janaki in Koluru village in Bettagere Gram Panchayat limits of Mudigere taluk. She sustained minor injuries. In another incident, a tree fell across the Mudigere-Goewdahalli road, breaking an electric pole. Traffic was disrupted until the morning. Bhadra and Tunga Rivers are filling to the brim following heavy rain in the catchment areas.
The present inflow of water into the Bhadra reservoir is 4,135 cusecs. The dam level on Monday morning stood at 26.548 tmc, as against dam’ storage capacity of 71.535 tmc ft. Heavy rain also boosted inflows into major reservoirs in Shivamogga on Monday. The Bhadra reservoir received an inflow of 4,135 cusecs as of 6am. The reservoir’s water level was 139.6 feet against its full reservoir level (FRL) of 186 feet. The Linganamakki reservoir recorded a water level of 1,751.60 feet at 8am, an increase of 1.75 feet over the previous reading.