With the rains subsiding in southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka districts, the threat of further floods in North Karnataka also seems to be fading. However, as a precaution, authorities in several districts are busy evacuating residents from flood-prone villages and localities to relief centres set up at higher altitudes.
Officials in Maharashtra have indicated a further reduction in discharge into the Krishna river. Water release from the reservoirs, that had been on the rise in the past week, remained stable on Tuesday. According to officials, if it does not rain in the next few days, the water levels in the reservoirs would recede further as the outflow levels have been kept constant.
In Belagavi district, 150 families from six villages have been evacuated. “Malaprabha waters entered parts of Ramdurg, but as the threat was not serious there was no evacuation,” Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath said. Following the increased inflow into Ghataprabha river, parts of Gokak and nearby areas were flooded. NDRF and SDRF teams have been posted in villages and sub-division levels.
The situation in Dharwad, Gadag, and Haveri improved comparatively on Tuesday. There was no further rise in the water level in the streams and rivers of the districts. Several tanks in these districts have been overflowing, partially inundating the localities downstream. But there have been no reports of casualties.
In the Kalyana Karnataka region, the outflow from Basava Sagar into the Krishna was increased to 2.54 lakh cusecs on Tuesday evening. The water level in the reservoir stood at 490.01 m, as against the FRL of 492.25 m. The bridge constructed across the Krishna between Huvinadagi and Kollur villages that connects Raichur and Kalaburagi district via Yadgir continued to be submerged in floodwaters. Traffic had to be diverted.
Meanwhile, the day-long joint operation by the NDRF and the Telengana and Karnataka police to retrieve the bodies of four persons from Kuravakula islet who were washed away in the swollen Krishna on Monday did not yield any results.