Officials say there is no threat of floods

Some districts in North Karnataka have been receiving heavy rain for three days

Some districts of North Karnataka have been receiving heavy rainfall for three days now. But officials say that despite heavy rainfall in some North Karnataka districts, there is no threat of a flood in the region.

Irrigation officials increased the outflow from the Alamatti Dam to over one lakh cusecs by Monday evening, due to increased inflow. The outflow in the morning was around 6,000 cusecs. This is a sudden increase, 17 times over the outflow in a single day. The dam now has 117 tmcft, which is 95% of its total water impounding capacity.

“Almatti outflow was increased to create a cushion for the inflow that included water discharge from Maharashtra of 57,000 cusecs and heavy rainfall in the basin areas. Water from Kallol Barrage in Belagavi will reach Alamatti in 36 hours. If inflow stays between 60,000 cusecs and 70,000 cusecs, the dam will get around six tmcft of water,’’ officials said.

With rainfall and water being discharged in the upper catchment areas of the Krishna, inflow increased beyond 40,000 cusecs. Revenue, Agriculture and other department officials have been asked to alert all downstream area residents of the increase in outflow. Irrigation officials said that there has been no threat of an imminent flood.

Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil also said that there is no imminent threat of a flood either in the Krishna or the Malaprabha river basin. There has been heavy rain in some areas in the basin and there has been some crop damage too. But there is no threat of floods, he said.

Rainfall in Maharashtra is not very severe and the water levels in reservoirs in that State are not high enough to lead to huge water discharge. We are in constant touch with Maharashtra officials, he said.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority has sounded a yellow alert for North Karnataka districts.