7 days ago
Heavy rain batters Belagavi: schools shut, emergency teams deployed
Belagavi: In view of the incessant rainfall, District Disaster Management Authority chairman and deputy commissioner Mohammad Roshad extended a holiday for all Anganwadi centres, schools, and colleges (up to PUC II) on Thursday as a precautionary measure.
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His order also applied to Khanapur and Kittur taluks.
The rains over the past three days has severely disrupted normal life in Belagavi city and surrounding areas. Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) deployed three emergency response teams to address crises and provide immediate relief to affected residents.
Belagavi city received 65mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, higher than the average, according to sources from Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre.
Belagavi taluk recorded 58.8mm against the normal 7.3mm, while Peeranwadi village reported a massive 100mm of rainfall.
Widespread disruption in city
Rain-related challenges continued to mount in Belagavi city. Key areas such as Goaves, Fort Road and Congress Road reported waterlogging. Uprooted trees and fallen electric poles were reported across city zones, affecting vehicular movement and power supply.
Traffic near Central Post Office was blocked for hours after a tree collapsed on the road. BCC personnel later cleared the obstruction.
In Vishweshwaraiah Nagar, a lorry got stuck in an open gutter obscured by rainwater on Wednesday early morning, highlighting the danger posed by poor drainage visibility. Blocked drains and overflowing gutters compounded the crisis, with rainwater mixed with waste entering homes in low-lying areas.
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BCC response and lapses
BCC commissioner Shuba B along with officials visited affected areas. The civic body stationed three JCB machines and water-sucking units on standby to respond to emergencies. Power outages became frequent as tree branches continued to fall on electric lines. Notably, the BCC and the forest department planned to trim hazardous branches before the onset of monsoon and even allocated Rs 10 lakh for the task.
However, delays in execution have now resulted in severe inconvenience to the public.
Taluk-wise rainfall
Among the taluks, Khanapur recorded the highest rainfall at 103mm in the past 24 hours (against the normal 16.4 mm), followed by Belagavi with 58.8mm, Kittur with 37.3mm, Nippani with 15.6mm and Bailhongal with 14.9mm. The lowest rainfall of 1.2mm was recorded in Ramdurg. Kalakatta bridge in Kangrali (KH) also reported flooding due to heavy downpours.
