Ballari officials told to be prepared for possible floods
With increasing outflows from the Tungabhadra dam and the river nearing flood levels, Ballari Deputy Commissioner Prashant Kumar Mishra has directed officials to stay prepared for any emergency.
Chairing the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting at the Deputy Commissioner's office on July 8, he instructed tahsildars of flood-prone areas, especially in Kampli and Siruguppa taluks, to initiate precautionary measures, including relocation of vulnerable populations to safer locations.
The Deputy Commissioner informed that the Tungabhadra reservoir has filled up earlier than expected this year due to heavy rainfall in the Malnad region.
'The Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC) has decided to retain only around 80–85 tmcft of water, and release the rest into the river. The situation calls for heightened alertness in low-lying villages along the riverbank,' Mr. Mishra said.
DDMA Officer Parmesh informed that the reservoir currently held 76.731 tmcft of water against the total capacity of 105.788 tmcft, with an inflow of 54,550 cusecs and an outflow of 61,645 cusecs. He clarified that the Kampli and Gangavathi bridges would be submerged only if the discharge crosses 1,00,000 cusecs.
'In such a scenario, two villages in Kampli and one in Siruguppa are likely to be affected. Temporary relief centres are already being prepared,' he said.
The DC instructed tahsildars to conduct daily inspections, warn residents against venturing into the river, and ensure protection of lives and livestock, apart from stressing the importance of proactive planning to prevent casualties, or damage to crops.
Joint Director of Agriculture Somasundar reported a 49% rainfall deficit in June and a 45% deficit so far in July, though forecast indicated potential rainfall in the coming days.
'Sowing of kharif crops like cotton, corn, and tur has begun, and there is still a window for further sowing,' he said.
Mr. Mishra told tahsildars to visit their respective taluks, gather field-level data on rainfall shortages, and coordinate with the Agriculture Department to submit reports to the government of Karnataka.
During the meeting, the DC reviewed the status of projects taken up under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), and sought updates from the departments concerned.
Mr. Mishra handed over the proceedings to Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Zubair before leaving to attend to other commitments.
The meeting was attended by DDLR Pramod, and officials from the PWD, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, and other district-level departments, along with tahsildars from five taluks via video conference.
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