Swelling Krishna submerges 4 villages

ATHANI:(BELGAUM): Since Maharashtra has been releasing water into the Krishna river for about a week, four villages on the banks of the river in Athani taluk were submerged on Tuesday.However, as villagers are not willing to move to safer places, the district administration has pressed for two mechanised boats and has identified rehabilitation centres with necessary food, medicines and animal fodder.About 2.50 lakh cusecs were released in to the river on Tuesday due to which traffic in Ugar B K, Ugar K H, Kusanal, Nadi Ingalgaon, Thirth, Saptasagar, Thirth- Shankratti and Khavatakop villages were closed.Ten bridges and barrages across the Krishna in Chikkodi taluk, two bridges in Khanapur taluk across the river Markandeya, three bridges in Hukkeri taluk across the Hiranyakeshi river and one bridge in Gokak taluk across Ghataprabha river are still submerged.As many as 56 persons of 11 families in Kundaragi village in Gokak taluk, 90 persons of 23 families in Masaguppi village and 70 from 15 families in Udagatti village of the same taluk have been shifted to safer places. The district administration in a release has said that the villagers have gone to their relatives’ places.Around 15 houses in Belgaum and eight houses in Khanapur taluk collapsed due to rains on Tuesday increasing the count to 222 in the district. The water released from Maharashtra included 33,351 cusecs from Koyna and 60,361 from Rajaram barrages. As rains receded in the catchment area, the water level in Koyna with 105 TMC capacity has come down to 99.42 TMC.Karnataka, to maintain water level in Krishna, has released 1,29,940 cusecs from Alamatti reservoir as against its inflow of 2,02,130 cusecs. Alamatti, the biggest reservoir in the region, is just 0.55 m short of brim as against its capacity of 519.6 m. As the district received good rains, the barrages and bridges are almost full. Kudachi bridge is 1.90 m short and Hipparagi barrage is 0.12 m short of being full.