The Hindu : Front Page : Flood situation continues to be grim in Bagalkot district

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Tuesday, Aug 02, 2005

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Flood situation continues to be grim in Bagalkot district

Suresh Bhat

Administration begins airdropping of food, 2,000 people shifted to safe places

AMID WATER: Submerged dwellings at Tamaddi village of Jamkhandi taluk on Monday.

JAMKHANDI (BAGALKOT DISTRICT): With no let up in flood situation in the taluk, the administration on Monday commenced airdropping food packets to people trapped in marooned villages.

Rescue operations began in the morning soon after the arrival of boats.

There were incidents of villagers jostling with one another when the boats arrived. The announcement that the overflowing Krishna is likely to swell further made people panic.

By evening, about 2,000 people were taken to safe places. However, over 6,000 people are still stranded in the villages.

According to the Superintendent of Police, B.A. Padmanayan, the discharge from Maharashtra reservoirs, including the Koyna Dam, has crossed four lakh cusecs. A red alert has been sounded in other villages situated on the banks of the Krishna.

The Yadwad bridge across the Ghataprabha and the Padasalagi Bridge across the Krishna have been submerged. Many small bridges and roads are under water, and traffic has been thrown out of gear.

A helicopter, which arrived from Belgaum, began sorties at around 2 p.m. The Deputy Commissioner, K.S. Prabhakar, who is camping here since Sunday, told The Hindu that 5,000 food packets were airdropped in villages. He said eight boats have already arrived and eight more are expected by Tuesday. Around six "ganji kendras" (gruel centres) were opened at temporary shelters. Besides, foodgrains and medicines are distributed in other affected places.

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, is scheduled to make an aerial survey of the affected villages before going to Gulbarga, after brief stop over in Bijapur, according to Mr. Prabhakar.

Though there was slight fall in the water level in the Bhima on Monday, it continues to flow much above the danger mark. People in Tarapur village of Bijapur district were shifted to safe places.

But there are reports that many of them chose to return to their village in the afternoon after some let up in flood situation.

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