Flood Situation Worsens in Krishna Basin as Dam Discharges Rise in Karnataka after Heavy Rains, Residents Evacuated
A flood-like situation has created across the Krishna River basin due to continuous rainfall over the past few days, prompting district administrations to shift residents to safer locations and set up relief centres, according to a TOI report on August 20.
About 2.5 lakh cusecs of water is being released from the Almatti Dam, while the average inflow of water was 1.6 lakh cusecs at 6 pm on August 20. Officials have warned that if outflows touches 5 lakh cusecs, villages like Masuti could be entirely submerged.
Rising Inflows Trigger Alerts
Water levels in the Krishna, Ghataprabha, and Malaprabha rivers have surged, causing widespread concern. In Mirji village of Mudhol taluk, a relief centre has been opened to accommodate displaced families, said Bagalkot District Commissioner Sangappa.
In Jamkhandi, Assistant Commissioner Shweta MB said that the discharge from Krishna River at Rajapur barrage reached 1.4 lakh cusecs by 5 pm on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Narayanpur Dam is expected to see inflows rise to 2.6 lakh cusecs in the coming hours.
Officials told TOI that continuous rains have partially damaged 47 houses in the region, though no casualties have been reported so far.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains over coastal and north interior Karnataka till August 26. In the north interior region, Belagavi is likely to see heavy rainfall with winds of 30-40 kmph, while Bagalkot, Bidar, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Yadgir and Dharwad are expected to experience light to moderate rain.
According to ANI, all Anganwadi centres, schools, and colleges remained closed on August 20 to ensure the safety of children and students. The district administration also instructed authorities to conduct make-up classes on upcoming holidays to compensate for the lost academic days In Karnataka’s Dharwad district.
