Karnataka sounds flood alert as Maharashtra releases excess water
FollowA flood alert has been sounded in at least two villages located on the borders of Karnataka and Maharashtra. The alert was sounded after excess water was released from Maharashtra into the Krishna river that flows downstream through the state.
“People living in villages on the banks of Krishna and low-lying areas in Bagalkot and Belagavi districts have been put on alert after Maharashtra released excess water into the river following heavy rains in its catchment areas,” the official from Karnataka natural disaster monitoring centre told IANS.
Bagalkot deputy commissioner PA Meghannavar has now advised the residents of Jamkhandi and Bilagi taluks of the district to move to safer places from the river banks to avoid being affected, in the event of a flood.
“As 1.7 lakh cusecs of water has been released from Koyna Dam in Satara district in the neighbouing state into the river, measures are being taken to prevent any untoward incident if more water is released,” Meghannavar said in a statement from Bagalkot.
As the fourth biggest river (1,300 km) in terms of water inflows and river basin area in the country, Krishna originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and passes through Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, before flowing out into the Bay of Bengal. It is also a major source of irrigation in the four southern states.
“Residents in villages along the river course at Chikkodi and Raibag in Belagavi district have been advised to move away from the banks to safer places, as heavy rains in the region can cause flash floods due to raising water level in the tributaries,” the official pointed out.
