More than 56 families living in two residential extensions in Honnali taluk, Balaraj Ghat and Bamboo Bazaar, have been shifted to community hall and a gruel centre set up to provide food and shelter to them till the water in the river recedes.
Water-level in Tungabhadra river has remained at about 11.25 metres at Honnali for the past two days as 30,000 cusecs of water is being discharged into the river from Bhadra reservoir and another 36,000 cusecs from Tunga reservoir. The 11.25-m water-level in the river is stated to be highest in recent years. Threat of floods is looming large over about 21 villages in Honnali taluk. Sensing the possible danger, the authorities have shifted the residents to government school and community hall.
Thousands of acres of paddy and maize fields have been inundated. Meanwhile, tahsildar of Honnali taluk, along with Revenue officials, visited the area and promised the farmers that he would take steps to get them compensation, after assessing the loss. Revenue, Agriculture and Horticulture department officials are expected to survey and assess the crop-loss in a day or two.
Nine houses have been damaged owing to heavy rainfall in Honnali for the last two days.
Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy, Sharath, reportedly died in a rain-related incident at Chennenahalli in Honnali taluk on Sunday. According to sources, the boy went to the fields to assist his father and accidentally stepped on to a live wire and was electrocuted. However, official sources have denied the electrocution theory by stating that the boy died while trying to establish unauthorised electric connection. Many villages in Harihar and Harapanahalli taluk were facing the threat of floods. Road connectivity to many villages in the two taluks, including Halasabalu, Ukkadagathri, Sarathi and Chikkabidari in Harihar taluk, has been lost as roads and bridges are completely covered with water.
Similarly, road connectivity to Halavagilu, Garbagudi, Nandibevur and Nitturu has been lost. The officials have decided to use boats to transport people from the affected villages from Monday. Already, life jackets have been kept ready in all the flood-prone villages. According to official sources, over 12 houses were damaged in the last two days in Harapanahalli taluk.In Harihar taluk, six houses have been damaged.
Villages marooned
Bellary Staff Correspondent reports:
Several villages in Hadagali taluk have been marooned due to floods in Tungabhadra river. The inflow, which was on the decline on Friday, suddenly increased due to heavy rain in the catchment areas on Sunday morning. The inflow was at the rate of about 1.65 lakh cusecs into the Tungabhadra reservoir at Hospet, while the discharge was at about 1.45 lakh cusecs. The villages, including Kotihal, Angoor, Makarabbi and Byalahunasi, which are on the upstream of the Tungabhadra reservoir, and along the bank of the river, do not have road connectivity. Village accountants have been camping in these villages to extend all kinds of assistance to villagers.
Vijayakumar, tahsildar of Hospet, has said that a round-the-clock control-room has been set up to monitor the situation and pass on information about any problems faced in these villages. He also said that all assistance would be provided to people in marooned villages through boats. According to information reaching here, water from the swollen Tungabhadra gushed into fields adjacent to it, inundating sugarcane and paddy crops at Mylar, Aravi, Lingnayakanahalli, Navali and Madalagatta. There are no reports of any loss of life or damage to property so far.
