CROPS LOST: The waters of the Bhima inundated fields near Saradgi village in Gulbarga taluk on Monday.

GULBARGA: The threat of floods has forced officials to shift people from more than 20 villages in the district to safer ground. With the Krishna and the Bhima in spate, agricultural land surrounding these villages is already under water.

More that 3.60 lakh cusecs of water has been released from the Narayanpur dam because of heavy inflow from the Alamatti dam and tributaries of the Krishna. Several villages in Surpur, Shahapur and Yadgir taluks are facing a flood threat. Thousands of acres of agriculture land has been inundated, and standing crops, particularly paddy grown on the banks of the river, have been damaged.

The authorities have already alerted Andhra Pradesh about the increased release of water into the Krishna and the rising waters of the Bhima, which joins the Krishna on the border of Shahapur and Mahbubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh.

Official sources said here on Monday that the flood situation in villages on the banks of the Bhima in Afzalpur, Jewargi, Chitapur, Shahapur and Yadgir taluks is worsening with each passing hour. The level of the river at the Devangaon bridge at Sonna village in Afzalpur taluk, which touched 404.6 m earlier on Monday, just 1 m short of the danger mark, receded to 403.6 m at 5 p.m.

In 1998, the level touched 406 m, flooding several villages and damaging standing crops worth several crores of rupees.

Official sources said the flood threat remains as the release of water from the Ujjini dam in Maharashtra was increased to more than 2 lakh cusecs on Monday and the water is likely to reach the Devangaon Bridge by Tuesday evening. Mavoor village near Itaga in Jewargi taluk was marooned on Monday the rising waters of the Bhima.

Reports received here said that in Jewargi and Afzalpur taluks alone floodwaters have entered more than 11,500 acres of agricultural land, completely damaging the standing crops. The loss is estimated at more than Rs. 5 crores. Road links to several villages have been cut. No loss of life has been reported in any of the affected villages.

Nelogi, the native village of the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, is the worst hit with hundreds of acres of agricultural land, under water.

Barrages submerged

Floodwaters have submerged the Kollur, Ghattarga, Saradgi and other small barrages constructed across the Bhima. The level of Bhima is just four feet below the Kattisangavi bridge on the National Highway connecting Gulbarga and Bangalore.

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