Villagers on Western Ghats fear floods

BAGALKOT/ VIJAYAPURA: With heavy rains in Western Ghats and catchment areas of Krishna river basin, the Lal Bahadur Shahstri Water Reservoir (Almatti Dam) is receiving an inflow of over 70,000 cusecs, while it is discharging nearly 2 lakh cusecs of water currently.

The villages that are dwelling on the backwaters of Narayanpura reservoir are in a fear that if the outflow crosses 2.5 lakh cusecs, their houses might get flooded. However, the officials of Krishna Jala Baghya Nigama Limited claimed that the maximum water discharge will be less than 2 lakh cusecs for the next few days, as the inflow is less than 1 lakh cusecs, an official told TNIE.   

On August 19, KBJNL officials closed all the crest gates of Almatti Dam as the inflow had fallen down to 10,000 cusecs. After two weeks, as the inflow shot up to 70,000 cusecs, the officials were forced to open all gates, as this inflow is likely to remain for another week. On Friday, the officials of KBJNL recorded an inflow of 72,182 cusecs, while the outflow of the reservoir was 1,85,085 cusecs. Water is being released into Narayanpura reservoir which is hardly 40km away from Almatti dam, while Narayanpura reservoir is filled to its brim and is also releasing over 2 lakh cusecs of water.   Currently, water is stored at 518.77m against the height of 519.6m in Almatti. The water storage in the reservoir on Friday was 109.28 tmcft against the total capacity of 123 tmcft. The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) every day generating nearly 250 MW power from six power generation units.

An official of KBJNL told TNIE, “The reservoir is getting an inflow which is less than one lakh cusecs since a week due to heavy downpour in Western Ghats. We have received a weather report that rains will continue to lash Ghats for another week. We are expecting the same inflow for another two weeks,” stated the official. 

Body of minor traced after a month
Belagavi: The body of a 13-year-old boy who was washed away in the recent floods near Athani has been traced after a month. In an attempt to cross the overflowing Krishna river with a few others, Basavaraj Kamble was washed away in flash floods on August 7, at Teerth village near Athani. His body remained untraced despite a search operation.

Krishna inflow, outflow being monitored
Belagavi: Another spell of heavy rain across the Karnataka-Maharashtra border areas has caused fear among people residing in villages here. Government authorities have asked people in many villages along the banks of Krishna to move to a safer place. The total release of water from dams in Maharashtra to Krishna is yet to cross 2 lakh cusecs.