Heavy rainfall persisted in southwestern Maharashtra on Thursday, although there was a slight reduction in rainfall in parts of Belgaum. The increased inflow into the Renuka Sagar Dam on the Malaprabha River in Saundatti prompted officials to raise the outflow to 15,000 cusecs on Thursday, up from 10,000 cusecs the previous day.
Authorities kept the outflow from the Lal Bahadur Shastri Reservoir on the Krishna River in Almatti, Bagalkot district, stable at approximately 3.52 lakh cusecs, equivalent to about 30 tmcft.
In Hidkal, Belgaum district, the Raja Lakhamagouda Reservoir on the Ghataprabha River held 47 tmcft of water against its total capacity of 51 tmcft. Inflow remained steady at around 33,515 cusecs, with outflow recorded at 38,644 cusecs.
The Malaprabha Dam contained about 32 tmcft of water compared to its total capacity of 37 tmcft. Inflow rose to 14,968 cusecs, while outflow was approximately 13,394 cusecs.
Since late June, continuous rainfall has caused significant damage in Belgaum and Bagalkot districts, raising water levels across most rivers in the Krishna basin due to runoff and releases from Maharashtra.
At least 40 bridges and barrages across rivers such as Krishna, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Dudhganga, Vedganga, Markandeya, Hiranyakeshi, Ballari Nala, Kalasa, Banduri, and Halatri Halla have been submerged, prompting commuters to seek alternative routes.
Authorities have evacuated over 10,304 people from 46 affected villages, with some seeking refuge in 54 care centers and others moving to relatives’ homes. A total of 535 houses were damaged, including 12 completely destroyed. The inclement weather has resulted in five fatalities and the loss of seven cattle and several small animals due to rain and flood-related incidents.
