Krishna flood: Situation in downstream areas grave

As much as 4 lakh cusec of water was discharged downstream from Narayanapur reservoir in Yadgir district, by lifting all 30 crest gates on Wednesday. Credit: DH photo

A massive four lakh cusec discharge from Almatti reservoir on Wednesday evening has posed a grave flood threat to the downstream districts.

The farmers of Araladinni, Yelagur, Yellammana Budhihal, Masuti, Kashinakunte among others on the banks of swollen Krishna river have suffered crop damage extensively.

Nidagundi is worst-hit, where acres of sugarcane, banana, sunflower and other crops have been submerged. Thousands of acres have completely gone under water and with outflow from Almatti is expected to go further up on Wednesday night, the situation will only worsen on Thursday.

The flood situation in Narayanapur backwaters has become grave due to heavy discharge of water from Almatti and the swollen Malaprabha river which meets Krishna at Kudalasangama. The floodwaters have reached the steps of Sangamanatha temple.

High alert has been sounded in the villages on the banks of Krishna, said Nidagundi Tahsildar Satish Kudalagi.

Read | Krishna, Bhima river basins receive record rainfall

Narayanapur reservoir on Wednesday released 4 lakh cusec of water by lifting all 30 crest gates. The massive discharge has increased the severity of floods in downstream districts - Yadgir and Raichur.

The Huvinahedigi bridge in Devadurg taluk, a major road link between Raichur and Kalabuaragi, has remained under water.

Scores of people in the flood-hit Aralahalli, Mushtalli and Shellagi villages have been evacuated to safer places.

Meanwhile, the floodwaters in Tungabhadra have started subsiding with a rapid reduction in inflows into the Tungabhadra reservoir.

The inflow into TB dam has come down from 1.50 lakh cusec on Monday to 70,000 cusec on Wednesday. The outflow has come down to 40,000 in the day. The reservoir, the lifeline of Koppal, Ballari and Raichur districts - has reached its full reservoir level for the first time, this monsoon season.

While the downstream districts are grappling with severe floods, the situation has eased a bit in the upstream districts - Belagavi and Bagalkot.

With the rainfall having receded in catchments of Maharashtra and Khanapur in Karnataka, inflows into Krishna river and its tributaries and outflows from Hidkal and Malaprabha dams have come down drastically. However, several villages and towns in Chikkodi, Kagwad, Raibag and Athani taluks continued to remain under floodwaters.