Pic: Water is being discharged into Bhima River from Sonna barrage located in the Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi districtAfzalpur (Kalaburagi): A total of 2.3 lakh cusecs of water flowed into the Sonna reservoir from various sources, including the Ujani reservoir in Maharashtra, while an equivalent volume was discharged into Bhima River on Tuesday.This figure comprises 70,000 cusecs from the Ujani reservoir in Maharashtra and 1.6 lakh cusecs from the Sheena River, as reported by Santosh Kumar Sajjan, sub-divisional executive engineer of the Bhima Irrigation Project.As a result, the bridges at Ghattarga and Devala Gangapur in Afzalpur taluk were submerged, disrupting access to villages in Sindagi of Vijayapura and Jewargi taluk of Kalaburagi for the last two days.Moreover, streams in Mallabad, Badanahalli, Bankalad, and Jewargi-B villages in the taluk overflowed, impacting daily activities. The excessive influx into the Bhima River resulted in damage to crops along both banks.There is a concern that some villages may become isolated starting Tuesday afternoon, leading the taluk administration to take necessary precautions in the at-risk areas. Police were deployed at the Ghattarga and Devala Gangapur bridges, and the taluk administration issued a warning against crossing these structures.According to the temple committee, the Yellamma Devi temple situated in Mannur village of Afzalpur taluk was completely submerged, resulting in the suspension of darshan and puja activities. Furthermore, the bridge connecting Mannur to villages in Indi taluk was also submerged, cutting off road access.Additional water from the Ujani reservoir is anticipated to reach Bhima River in Afzalpur taluk by Sept 23 night or Sept 24 morning. “Consequently, farmers along the banks of the Bhima River have been advised to move their irrigation pump sets to safer locations,” Santosh Kumar Sajjan said.
