Karnataka: Following heavy discharge of water from reservoirs in Maharashtra, alert issued across Krishna basin

Bengaluru: Following heavy discharge of water from reservoirs in Maharashtra and continuous downpour, an alert has been issued across the Krishna basin in North Karnataka.

The Krishna is overflowing at many places and people on riverbanks have been alerted. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai asked Karnataka officials to be in touch with their counterparts in Maharashtra to keep tabs on water levels in reservoirs there and issue an early warning if needed.

A committee comprising officials from both states is in place to ensure coordinated discharge of water from Maharashtra dams to avoid flooding in Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts.

“If things get worse, take immediate measures to shift villagers to safer places,” he told officials.

Meanwhile, rain continued to pound many districts of Karnataka, forcing authorities to declare a holiday for schools and colleges across Belagavi, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts. The weather department has forecast heavy to very heavy rain across the state in the next four days.

The rains wreaked havoc in Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada districts too. The authorities said many rivers and rivulets are in spate, submerging many bridges and culverts.

The Cauvery basin in Mandya district too is affected due to the discharge of 80,000 cusecs of water from the Krishnaraja Sagar dam. Visitors to the KR Sagar dam area have been prohibited from entry.

The authorities also barred entry to pilgrimage sites such as Paschima Vahini Sangam and Gosai Ghat.

Published on: Saturday, July 16, 2022, 10:31 PM IST