Days of unrelenting rain and heavy discharge from reservoirs in Maharashtra have triggered severe flooding across northern Karnataka, leaving rivers swollen, key roads cut off, and thousands displaced in Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgir, and Raichur districts.
The Bhima river, fed by releases from the Sina, Veer, and Ujani reservoirs, has inundated large stretches of National Highway-50 near Jewargi. At Kattisangavi, floodwaters rose above bridge level, halting all vehicular movement and leaving trucks stranded for miles. By late Saturday, passengers attempted to cross on foot as traffic remained paralysed.
Kalaburagi has emerged as one of the worst-hit areas, with the Bhima receiving inflows of 3.5 lakh cusecs, according to officials. In Bidar district, discharge from the Dhanegaon reservoir coupled with persistent rainfall flooded Kamalnagar, Aurad, Bhalki, Hulsur, and Bidar taluks. The Inchur bridge in Bhalki was submerged, cutting links to Maharashtra, while three homes collapsed in Hulsur taluk.
In Basavakalyan, water was released from the historic Tripurant Lake after record rainfall threatened the integrity of its bund. The outflow flooded surrounding villages including Pratappur, Khanapur, Gaur, Janapur, and Betabalkunda.
Yadgir too faced severe impact, recording rainfall 122% above normal between September 22 and 28. Over 1,100 residents were evacuated and five relief centres set up, with more than 100 houses reported damaged. Raichur district saw 15 homes collapse in Maski as the Bhima merged with the Krishna, forcing Andhra Pradesh to open Jurala reservoir gates downstream.
With forecasts warning of continued heavy rain over river catchments, the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has issued high alerts for the Bhima in Yadgir, Kalaburagi, and Bidar, as well as the Kagina river in Kalaburagi, which has also crossed danger marks. Rainfall in the region has remained consistently high, with August recording 66% excess precipitation and September, up to the 28th, showing a 32% surplus.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday directed Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and district officials to intensify rescue and relief measures. He urged senior officials to personally monitor affected areas, stressing that “all precautions must be taken to avoid loss of lives, livestock, and property,” while ensuring steady supplies of food and fodder at relief camps.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced separate tours of flood-hit districts beginning Monday. State party chief BY Vijayendra will lead a team including senior leaders such as Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Govind Karjol, Bhagavanth Khuba, and B Sriramulu across Raichur, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, and Bidar. Another delegation headed by Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka will cover Vijayapura, Bagalkot, and Belagavi, where villages and farmland remain waterlogged due to upstream releases.
The BJP said the visits aim to assess ground realities, interact with families in relief centres, and demand expedited compensation for losses from the state government.