Villages turn into islands, two rain deaths in State

Incessant rain lashes south-interior, central and Bombay–Karnataka

A two-wheeler rider attempts to cross the Kollol–Yadur bridge across the Krishna in Chikkodi taluk, which experienced heavy rain on Saturday. Photo: D. B. Patil

Heavy rain in various parts of the State left two persons dead, damaged houses and flooded several low-lying regions in the last 24 hours.

One person each was killed in Chikmagalur and Davangere districts and several villages in Belgaum district turned into islands as incessant rain lashed parts of south-interior Karnataka, central Karnataka and Bombay–Karnataka.

Washed away

A plantation worker was washed away in the overflowing Yettinahole river, near Kyamanahalli in Sakleshpur taluk (Hassan district) late on Friday.

Baby (42), a mother of three, fell into the stream while crossing it. Parts of Sringeri and Mudigere taluks in Chikmagalur district have been receiving heavy rain, forcing authorities to close schools on Saturday.

Forty-six-year-old Kariyamma was killed when the wall of her house collapsed at Kanive Bilachi in Chennagiri taluk of Davangere district on Thursday night.

In Belgaum, unabated rainfall and increased inflows into the Krishna from Maharashtra since Friday left seven bridges submerged, turning several low-lying villages in Chikkodi taluk into islands. Increased outflow at Rajapur barrage across the Krishna at the Karnataka–Maharashtra boundary and from Koyna dam, near Satara (Maharashtra), has resulted in the flood-like situation.

District authorities said that 30 boats had been kept ready in Chikkodi and Athani taluks to shift village people in the event of floods.

Kodagu district too continued to experience heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours with Shantalli hobli in Somwarpet taluk recording the highest of 206.2 mm. Cauvery and Lakshmanatirtha rivers are in spate.

In Shimoga district, all major rivers, including Tunga, Bhadra, Sharavati, Malathi, Varada were in spate. Vehicular traffic between Shimoga city and Tirthahalli along National Highway 13 was suspended as the road near Mandagadde was submerged. In Sagar taluk, Beesanagadde village was flooded by the Varada waters. The district administration has provided motor boats for people to reach the village.

Reservoir levels

Copious rain has pushed up water-levels in several reservoirs. The water-level in the Hemavati reservoir in Hassan stood at 2,910 ft against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 2,922 ft. On Saturday, the gross storage was 26.674 tmcft. Last year on this day it was 11.42 tmcft.

The water-level in the Harangi reservoir in Kodagu district on Saturday morning stood at 2,856.38 ft against the maximum of 2,859 ft. Inflow has increased at the rate of 18,606 cusecs. Outflow was at the rate of 21,975 cusecs and at the rate of 650 cusecs into the canals.

Water-level in the Linganamakki reservoir in Shimoga district rose by 3 ft in a span of 24 hours. It reached 1,797 ft on Saturday. Inflow at the rate of 55,031 cusecs was recorded here.

The water-level in the Bhadra reservoir stood at 168 ft with an inflow at the rate of 30,163 cusecs. As the Tunga reservoir, near Gajanur, is full, water at the rate of 66,000 cusecs was discharged into the river.