BENGALURU, 20 AUG 

Heavy rains continued to lash multiple districts across Karnataka, including Dharwad, Gadag, Davangere, Haveri, and Uttara Kannada, damaging houses and farmlands. Authorities have shifted residents in vulnerable areas to relief centres as a precaution.

The Sheelhalli–Hanchinal bridge remains submerged, cutting off road access to several riverbank villages such as Kaddaragaddi, Yarigodi, and Hanchinal. Villagers now face a 45-kilometre detour via Jaladurga to reach their taluk headquarters. Despite warnings, videos surfaced showing people washing bikes on the flooded Sheelhalli bridge, risking safety near the swollen Krishna River, which remains above the danger mark.

Heavy rainfall in Maharashtra’s Western Ghats has caused large volumes of water to flow into the Krishna and Bhima rivers, raising flood concerns along their banks. The Basavasagar dam has opened all 30 of its gates, while the Gurusanagi Barrage in Yadgir district has lifted 17 gates to manage inflows.

In Belagavi, the Malaprabha river basin also faced heavy rains. A video showed a biker narrowly escaping after being swept off a flooded bridge, despite locals’ warnings against attempting the risky crossing.

In Bidar, water entered the sanctum of the Anantha Padmanabha temple. BJP MLA Sharanu Salagar highlighted the devastating impact on farmers, with over 1.21 lakh hectares of crops, including toor dal, black gram, and soybean, destroyed. Salagar called for Rs 25,000 relief for affected farmers, urging the formation of a committee to assess losses and expedite compensation.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts continued widespread rainfall across Karnataka over the next week, with heavy showers expected in coastal and northern interior regions. Coastal areas will see rain until 25 August, with thunderstorms and gusty winds predicted in parts of the north on 26 August.

Several major reservoirs are nearing full capacity, including Almatti (123.08 TMC), Tungabhadra (76.91 TMC), KRS (47.73 TMC), and Narayanapura (33.31 TMC), raising concerns about potential flooding downstream.