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Heavy rain continued in Karnataka on Wednesday even as flood threats loomed over parts of the state. The situation could worsen, especially in areas along the river banks, with an orange alert issued by the India Meteorological Department for the coastal, Malnad, and south interior Karnataka districts till Friday.
A landslide along the Shiradi Ghat stretch of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway on Tuesday has affected traffic movement. Landslides were also reported along other roads that connect the two cities, such as the Charmady Ghat route and the Sampaje route. However, the extent of the landslides is smaller than the one reported in Shiradi, which affected several vehicles.
Efforts are underway to clear the Shiradi Ghat route for traffic movement, which is currently being diverted via the Sampaje route. Local officials have advised against using the Charmady Ghat route owing to possible landslides.
Areas along rivers are also facing a threat of inundation, especially along the banks of the Krishna flowing through Belagavi and Bagalkot districts. According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, the Almatti dam on the river was receiving an inflow of 3.23 lakh cusecs. Water flow into the river is expected to swell in the coming days as an an orange alert has been issued till Sunday for the river’s catchment areas in Maharashtra.
Several low-lying areas along the Ghataprabha river, a tributary of Krishna passing through Belagavi and Bagalkot districts, also face flood threats due to very heavy rain in the river’s catchment areas. Water entered a few villages along the river in Bagalkot recently, after which residents were moved to relief camps. The administrations of Belagavi, Bagalkot and other districts where the Krishna flows have issued warnings to low-lying areas.
According to locals, efficient dam management has eliminated the threat of floods, like the ones reported in 2019. “Unlike last time, when water was released at one go from the upstream dams of the Krishna, this time it was regulated. Moreover, dam authorities have ensured that the amount of water received at the Almatti and downstream Narayanapura dams is released regularly to avoid flooding along the backwaters,” a source said.
The intensity of rain has reduced in the last 24 hours in North Karnataka.
Minor flooding is also reported in parts of Kodagu district. Around 25 families from a village near Kushalnagar were shifted to relief centres.
In other parts of the state, water from the Bhadra river entered Balehonnur in Chikkamagaluru district, prompting authorities to shift people to relief camps. The Central Water Commission has issued a flood warning for the town asking people to shift to safer areas.
The Netravati river, which flows through Dakshina Kannada district, is also in spate.
Between July 1 and July 30, overall rainfall received in Karnataka was 64 per cent more than normal–408 mm as against 271 mm. Coastal districts received 1,811 mm of rainfall against a normal of 1,142 mm, and Malnad districts 983 mm as against 591 mm. South and north interior Karnataka districts too have received above-normal rainfall in the month.
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