Krishna river flows close to danger level as Maharashtra releases water, threatens flash floods in north Karnataka region

The Krishna river, often regarded as the lifeline of North Karnataka, is facing a significant increase in water inflow from Maharashtra as this unexpected surge has led to the river swelling beyond its danger level, sparking concerns of potential flooding, officials familiar with the matter

The water level of the Krishna river, which had completely dried up by the second week of June, increased at an alarming rise in water levels due to continuous heavy rainfall in south Maharashtra and the Western Ghats. In the past week, the average inflow has reached 2,90,000 cusecs, with contributions of 2,47,000 cusecs from the Rajapur barrage and 49,000 cusecs from the Vedaganga and Doodaganga rivers, Belagavi deputy commissioner Mohammad Roshan said on Tuesday.

He said: “The district administration is fully prepared to tackle the flood situation. Numerous relief centres have been established in safer locations, and both mechanised and manually operated boats with trained sailors have been deployed to assist villagers along the banks of the Krishna river.” So far, about 450 people have sought refuge in care centres in the Chikkodi division, with another 200 in Gokak taluk.

Athani taluk, the southernmost part of Karnataka, is one of the hardest-hit areas, with approximately 20 villages submerged and another 20 partially surrounded by floodwaters in Kagwad, Chikkodi, and Raibag taluks.

Channayya Itnalmath, a member of Vimochana Sansthe from Athani, told HT that the submerged villages are those situated closest to the riverbanks. “The river has not yet reached the low-lying villages. Back in 2005 and 2006, nearly half of Athani taluk was underwater for about a month during severe floods. The current situation is not as dire,” he said.

Athani, Chikkodi, Raibag, and Kagwad taluks in Belagavi are facing a significant flood threat as the river continues to encroach upon many villages. “We have established about ten relief centres in the Chikkodi division to accommodate those affected,” Roshan said, emphasising that around 450 people have been provided with food, medicine, and other essential care.

Although the Alamatti reservoir still has about 50% capacity remaining, it has been releasing an average of 3,00,000 cusecs of water to the Narayanpur reservoir. This release aims to maintain water levels in the Krishna river between the reservoir and the state border with Maharashtra. Mudhol taluk in the Bagalkot district is also experiencing submersion, with water from the Narayanpur reservoir inundating various localities, including graveyards.

A statement released noted that the Alamatti reservoir recorded an inflow of 2,75,000 cusecs at 8am on Tuesday, while the outflow was 3,15,000 cusecs. Alamatti, the largest reservoir in North Karnataka, has a storage capacity of 123.081 TMCFT, with its current storage at 55.133 TMCFT.

In Raibag taluk, the Darur bridge, which connects Athani and Gokak taluks, is just a foot away from overflowing, one of the officials said. Meanwhile, one of the two low-level bridges in Gokak taluk, which had been submerged for the past two days, has seen a slight receding of water levels, though it remains overrun.

“The bridge was under about 3 feet of water on Sunday and Monday, but the water level has now decreased by about 2 feet,” local resident Basavaraj Kurer said.