E-Paper
Karnataka: Two killed, 15 injured in rain-related incidents
On Friday night, 15 people from a village in Bailhongal taluk were injured when their house collapsed. On Sunday, two children, 11-year-old Abhi, and 12-year-old Ajay, drowned in a pond filled with rainwater at Dubai Nagar in Kalaburagi, they added
Two children died, and 15 people were injured in separate rain-related incidents as continuous and heavy rainfall since Tuesday, combined with water flowing from Maharashtra, has led to a significant rise in river levels and a flood-like situation in north Karnataka, officials said.
According to officials close to the developments, 16 low-height bridges in the region have been submerged, preventing public movement since Friday.
On Friday night, 15 people from a village in Bailhongal taluk were injured when their house collapsed. Additionally, two mud houses belonging to Gopal and Kharunisa at Boranakki village in Nandgad police station limits in Khanapur taluk collapsed on Sunday morning, but no one was injured, officials said.
However, on Sunday, two children, 11-year-old Abhi, and 12-year-old Ajay, drowned in a pond filled with rainwater at Dubai Nagar in Kalaburagi, they added.
The majority of the affected bridges are located in the Chikkodi division, which usually receives less rainfall. However, due to the rising water levels of the Krishna River and its sub-rivers Dudhganga and Vedaganga, these bridges have been rendered impassable. To ensure safety and prevent any disasters, the police department has blocked public and animal movement on the bridges. Round-the-clock police protection has been deployed at both ends of the bridges, with barricades installed for further safety, officials said.
HESCOM field workers who didn’t want to be named said that the power supply had not yet resumed.
Apart from several electric poles, more than 25 transformers have fallen due to falling trees. “Waterlogging about three-feet high in the field where working to reset the power connection is not possible. Will attend the work when the water level in fields recedes,” said one of the workers.
In Khanapur taluk, around 70 villages and hamlets within thick forest areas have lost their connection to nearby towns for the past five days, officials said.
Roads leading to these villages are flooded with water, making access difficult. Moreover, many villages still lack power as numerous electric poles and transformers have fallen due to tree collapse.
The local authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Khanapur and have prepared essential supplies, including medicine, ration, drinking water, and boats, in case villagers need to be evacuated. Belagavi’s Superintendent of Police (SP), Sanjeev Patil, has issued an urgent appeal to the public, urging them not to attempt to cross flooded roads. The current situation in Khanapur has the authorities actively engaging with the affected villages to maintain control and provide necessary assistance. “The district administration is ready with all the requirements, including medicine, ration, drinking water, and boats if they wanted to come out from the villages,” he said.
To provide shelter for the needy and homeless, the Belagavi City Corporation has set up 20 care centres in the Belagavi North and South constituencies.
These centres offer food, medicine, and a safe space for those affected by the heavy rains. The meteorology department has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in several districts, including Belagavi, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Yadagiri, and Bidar, until July 27.
As a precautionary measure, the state meteorological department has issued a yellow alert in these districts.
