Heavy rain on Thursday led to some areas being cut off from surrounding villages in Belagavi district.
Several villages remained cut off from the main roads. However, commuters are using alternative routes that are safe, officers said.
Among the major routes closed are the Bhojwad-Kunnur Road near Sadalaga after an increase in the water levels in the Veda Ganga and the Mangawati-Rajapur Bridge after it was submerged due to an increased flow in the Krishna. Commuters are taking a circuitous route through Manjari village.
The general public has been completely restricted from entering the backwaters of the Hidkal dam to reach the Vittal temple in Hunnur village. The temple resurfaced this year after delayed rainfall, attracting a huge number of devotees.
The Gokak-Singalapur Bridge remained closed. And, vehicle movement has been stopped as water started flowing over the Jatrat-Bhivashi Bridge.
Bridges and roads on the Hallatri Nala in Khanapur and the road leading to Rumewadi Cross have been closed. However, the Khanapur-Hemmadaga Road, where vehicles were left stranded on Wednesday, has been opened after reduced rainfall.
“Teams of District Police are monitoring 83 bridges across the district. They include structures over rivers and streams. A lot of them are submerged or overflowing, making them unsafe for travel. Police and other department officials in the respective taluks are appealing to people not to use them if there is water over them or if there is a possibility of the rivers and streams overflowing,” Superintendent of Police Sanjiv Patil said.
Dr. Patil visited Khanapur and surrounding areas. He observed that commuters have been forced to negotiate potholes on several roads in the rural areas of the taluk, increasing the chances of road accidents. “We have written a letter to the chief officer, Town Municipal Council of Khanapur, to immediately repair the potholes to reduce the chances of road accidents,” he said.
Meanwhile, the inflows into various dams have increased slightly. Inflow into the Naviluteertha Dam over the Malaprabha at Saundatti increased to 10,437 cusecs, but the outflow remained at 194 cusecs. The dam now has 4.6 tmcft as against a gross limit of 37.3 tmcft.
Inflow into the Raja Lakhamagouda Reservoir over the Ghataprabha in Hidkal stood at 20,814 cusecs as against an outflow of just 98 cusecs. The dam now has nine tmcft of water as against a gross capacity of 51 tmcft. The inflow and outflow in the Dhupdal Weir was 10,973 cusecs each.
Officials put rainfall received in Belagavi between 80 mm and 90 mm in the last 24 hours. Heavy rain is expected for the next three days.
