BIJAPUR: People along the banks of the Bhima are fearing the worst as the discharge from reservoirs Maharashtra on Wednesday crossed three lakh cusecs, the highest this season.

In fact, it is almost equal to the quantum of discharge that resulted in devastation last year. The river is flowing above the danger mark and large tracts of farmland have been flooded.

What is worrying is that the upper riparian State has raised the discharge from Ujani dam to 2.4 lakh cusecs. It is in addition to 60,000 cusecs of water that is being released from the Veerbhatkal reservoir.

According to sources in the district flood-monitoring cell, the range of flow level (depth) varied between 9 and 11 metres at different stretches, and it is likely to touch 14 metres which can leave a severe affect. All the nine barrages across the Bhima have been inundated.

A large number of villagers at Dasur and Tarapur have been evacuated, and the emphasis now is on shifting livestock to safety. The administration is anticipating trouble in other low-lying villages such as Halesanka, Umraj, Gubbewad, Agarkhed, Shambewad and Devenagaum.

The administration has formed 24 flood monitoring teams, each with four members, and they have been despatched to their respective areas of operation.

Already two gruel centres have been opened and two more will be opened.

Though the situation along the Krishna eased further on Wednesday, the situation may aggravate in the next 36 hours following fresh discharge from the Koyna, Warna and other dams in Maharashtra.

After a week's lull, the flood level in the Ghataprabha rose in the last 24 hours following increased discharge from Hidkal dam, and the Yadwad bridge near Mudhol is facing the threat of submergence again.

Meanwhile, the dam authorities further reduced the water level in the Alamatti and Narayanpur reservoirs.

The Central Water Commission has forecast increased inflow in the next 24 hours. The water level in Alamatti dam was 516.92 metres as against Tuesday's level of 517.08 metres. While the inflow was 2,82,458 cusecs the outflow was 2,96,253 cusecs.

The water level in the Narayanapur reservoir that is located 60 km downstream of the Alamatti dam, was 489.78 metres. It is 30 cm down compared to the level on Tuesday.

The discharge from the reservoir was increased to 3.37 lakh cusecs from Tuesday's rate of 3.06 lakh cusecs.

Our Gulbarga Staff Correspondent reports:

The district administration is buying more boats and rafts. The number of relief centres has been increased to 30 from 20.

"We will open more relief centres," said Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey.

He and Superintendent of Police Manish Karbikar visited the Katte Sangavi bridge on Jewargi road to review the situation.

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