Heavy Rains Submerge 11 Bridges in Belagavi District as River Inflows Rise

Heavy rains across Belagavi district and the Western Ghats region of Maharashtra on Wednesday caused river levels to rise and submerged 11 low-level bridges, disrupting local connectivity. Despite the swelling of major rivers and reservoirs, the Belagavi district administration confirmed there is no immediate threat of flooding.

The submerged low-level bridges are spread across Nippani, Chikkodi, Hukkeri, Gokak, Mudalgi, and Bailhongal taluks. The rising water levels have cut off direct transport routes, affecting daily commutes in several local villages.

According to irrigation officials, heavy rainfall in the Krishna basin pushed inflows at the Kallol barrage in Chikkodi taluk to 1,21,097 cusecs. This volume includes 97,167 cusecs flowing from the Rajapur barrage in Maharashtra and 23,930 cusecs from the Doodhganga river.

Other major water bodies also recorded significant increases in storage. The Hidkal reservoir received an inflow of 26,393 cusecs, bringing its storage to 13.157 TMC against a gross capacity of 51 TMC. In Khanapur taluk, inflow into the Malaprabha reservoir rose to 13,700 cusecs, bringing its total storage to 10.375 TMC against a total capacity of 37.731 TMC.

Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan stated that the inflows into the Krishna river have not yet crossed the 3.5 lakh cusecs mark, and the Almatti and Narayanpur reservoirs still have adequate storage capacity. He added that the widespread rainfall has eased drinking water concerns, with all 13 multi-village drinking water schemes dependent on the Krishna river functioning normally.

The district administration is closely monitoring water inflow from Maharashtra, with officials stationed in Sangli. Roshan noted that water released upstream takes about 20 hours to reach Karnataka, allowing sufficient time for precautionary measures.

The heavy rains have also resulted in the complete collapse of five houses and partial damage to 16 others. Roshan announced that compensation would be provided to the affected families, and officials have been directed to identify unsafe houses to prevent casualties.