Karnataka alert on rising Krishna river water level

Bengaluru: An alert has been sounded in Karnataka's north districts over the rising levels in Krishna river and its tributaries following heavy discharge of water from dams and reservoirs in rain-hit Maharashtra, an official said on Wednesday.

"People, especially those living on the banks of Krishna river and its tributaries like Doodhganga and Hiranyakeshi, have been cautioned against stepping into them, as water levels have been rising since Monday due to heavy inflows from Maharashatra across the border," an official of the state disaster monitoring centre told IANS here.

Incessant and widespread rains in catchment areas of south-eastern Maharashtra over a week forced its authorities to release excess water from Koyana dam and other reservoirs across Krishna that meanders into the state through Vijayapura (Bijapur), Bagalkot, Belagavi, Kalaburgi, Raichur and Yadgir districts.

"Bathing, swimming, fishing, washing of livestock and crossing the river on boats have been banned to avoid being washed away by strong currents and till water level recedes in the river and its tributaries," the official pointed out.

Heavy inflow also forced the state authorities to release 1.25 lakh cusecs of water from Basavasagar reservoir and 70,000 cusecs from Narayanpura dam into Krishna, resulting in flooding of low-laying areas in Yadgir and Raichur districts.

The water level in the Narayanapura dam is one feet less than its full level of 492 metres.

"A hamlet on the other side of Surpur town in Yadgir district has turned into an island and remains cut off with about 300 people stranded as Krishna is in spate after water was released from Basavasagar without alerting the affected," the official said.

Moderate to heavy rains in the catchment areas of coastal, central and northern regions of the state have submerged many roads and bridges, disrupting normal life in Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Ballari, Raichur and Yadgir districts.

Water was also released from Tungabhadra dam at Hosapete in Ballari district on Tuesday for enabling irrigation of farmlands in the kharif season.