Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Water level in the Bhima rising

Special Correspondent

Flood situation in the district continues to be grim, says Deputy Commissioner

GULBARGA: The flood situation in Gulbarga district continues to be grim with the water level of the Bhima threatening to reach the danger levels of 405 m at the measuring point at Devangoan Bridge near Sonna village in Afsalpur taluk. The present level stands at 404 m.

The Deputy Commissioner, Anjum Parvez, told The Hindu after holding an emergency meeting with senior officials from all the taluks to take stock of the flood situation in the affected areas along the banks of the Bhima and Krishna, said the situation is bleak as the water level in the Bhima had started increasing on Thursday after water released from the Ujjini and Veerbhatkar dams in Maharashtra started entering the district.

Mr. Parvez said that the flow in the Bhima at Devangoan Bridge is all set to cross 2.40 lakh cusecs for the first time after 30 years. The release of water from Ujjini and Veerbhatkar dams was more than 2.5 lakh cusecs on Thursday following fresh inflow of water to both the dams owing to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas in Maharashtra.

The authorities at the Narayanpur Dam are now releasing 4 lakh cusecs of water into the river owing to heavy inflow from the Alamatti Dam and other tributaries.

Mr. Parvez said the flow in the Bhima will continue to be heavy in the next few days as the water released from the Ujjini and Veerbhatkar dams two days ago had reached the district only now.

The rising water levels in the Bhima has also increased the likelihood of the flood waters submerging two important communication bridges at Kattisangavi in Jewargi taluk connecting Bangalore and Gulbarga, and the Devangoan Bridge at Sonna village connecting Gulbarga with the districts in Bombay Karnataka region.

Six boats requisitioned

The Deputy Commissioner said that to cope up with the renewed threat to 145 villages on the banks of the Bhima and 42 on the banks of the Krishna, the district administration has requisitioned six motorboats from Karwar. The boats will reach Gulbarga on Thursday night and people from the marooned villages will be evacuated as soon as possible. One boat will be stationed at Udachan in Afsalpur taluk and Shahapur, two in Naribol and Kattisangavi in Jewargi taluk, Aurad village in Gulbarga Taluk, and Kadabur village in Chitapur, to meet any exigencies. The district administration has also purchased two rubber rafts and 30 life jackets for use in the affected areas.

He said wireless connections have been established at all the relief centres set up in the affected areas to organise relief works. The district administration had availed the services of 400 Home Guards and they have been deployed to the affected areas to take up relief works. The authorities also continued the evacuation of the people in Hiriyal, Kodaganur, Sangam area in Devalgangapur, in Afsalpur taluk, Shivanur, Husarangundagi in Shahapur taluk, Ferozabad in Gulbarga taluk, Kadabur, Chamanur, Kollur, Hungunta, and Kundanur in Chitapur and Mavoor, Harwal, Kutnur, Kobal, Hadanur, Bandarawad, Kon Hipparga, Raddewadge in Jewargi, and few villages in Jewargi taluk on Thursday.

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