Under attack, B S Yediyurappa arrives in Belagavi to visit flood-hit areas
Hubballi: With more villages submerged in Belagavi and all seven rivers in the district flowing above the danger mark. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa rushed to Belagavi on Wednesday evening after Opposition parties criticized him for visiting Delhi when the region is reeling under floods. The death toll in rain related incidents has risen to six.
The CM will visit the flood affected region on Thursday and supervise relief operations. Meanwhile, the Belagavi district administration has sought helicopters from the Army to rescue the flood victims as they are finding it difficult to reach them with the help of boats due to heavy flow of water.
Ghataprabha river is in full spate and the release of more than 90,000 cusecs of water from Hidkal reservoir has worsened the flood situation. The flood waters have entered Gokak town and many low lying areas are submerged. Arogya Adhaar Hospital in the town is surrounded by water forcing the authorities to shift patients to safer place using boats. The water also entered the residence of BJP leader Balachandra Jarkiholi.
Twenty-one year old Padmavati Patil died in a house collapse in Lolasur village of Gokak taluk. Three petrol bunks are covered with flood water in Gokak due to which hundreds of people lined up to buy fuel in the remaining petrol bunk in the town.
Thirty-eight year old Mallesh Bannavar died in a house collapse in Chandanahosur village in Hirebagewadi police station limits. Three others were rescued as they were sleeping in another room. A passenger train was stopped for many hours near Tilakawadi in the outskirts of Belagavi city after flood water covered the railway track.
Meanwhile, the flood waters of the overflowing Vedaganga entered Nippani town and submerged the Dargah, college and other localities. Kochari village of Hukkeri taluk and Chinchali village of Rayabag taluk are submerged in water.
A twelve year old boy, Basavaraj Kamble perished in the flood water in Theertha village of Athani taluk while he was crossing a bridge. One person had to climb an electric pole and stayed on it for more than two hours in Ankalagi village of Gokak taluk before villagers used a coracle to save him.
The overflowing bridges and landslides have cut off road connectivity between Yallapur-Ankola, Hubballi-Ankola, Belagavi-Panjim, Belagavi-Ponda, Jamkhandi-Vijayapur, Belagavi-Gokak, Chikkodi-Ichalakaranji, Nippani-Kolhapur and Gokak-Vijayapur, Jamkhandi-Guddapur.
A person named Kashayya Hosallimath perished in the flood waters in Baradwad village of Kundagol taluk in Dharwad district. The incessant rain has prompted the district administration to extend the holiday for schools and colleges until August 10. Five villages including Lakamapur, Vasan, Konnur villages are facing flood threat in Gadag district due to release of 45,000 cusecs water from Malaprabha reservoir in Savadatti taluk.
