North Karnataka Floods: BJP urges swift relief, CM to conduct aerial survey
Heavy rains in Maharashtra have caused severe flooding in four Karnataka districts, submerging homes and farmland, prompting urgent government intervention.
Heavy rains in Maharashtra have pushed rivers flowing into Karnataka to dangerous levels, causing severe flooding across four districts in the state’s northern region. The rising waters of the Krishna and Bhima rivers have submerged villages, damaged crops, and left key bridges unusable, stranding hundreds of vehicles.
The worst-hit districts are Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Bidar, and Yadgir, where residents are grappling with inundated homes and destroyed farmland. Sources said bridges and culverts have been washed away after floodgates of dams in Maharashtra were opened.
A BJP delegation led by state party president BY Vijayendra visited the affected areas on Monday to assess the scale of the disaster. The team included Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, along with MLAs Shailendra Beldale, Prabhu Chauhan, and Sharanu Salagar. In Islampur village of Bidar taluk, the leaders rode a tractor to inspect submerged farmland, later traveling to villages in Kalaburagi for a ground-level assessment.
Speaking in Kalaburagi, Vijayendra demanded urgent government intervention. “Farmers are in distress. The government should quickly respond. I request chief minister Siddaramaiah to release more funds instead of waiting for Central grants under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF),” he said.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to arrive in Kalaburagi on Tuesday for an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts. According to officials, he will land at the Kalaburagi airport at 10.40am, meet district authorities and senior officials, and then conduct the aerial survey between 12.30pm and 1.30pm He is also expected to chair a meeting later in the day with officials from Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgir, and Vijayapura to review the situation.
The survey follows an appeal from forest minister Eshwar Khandre and municipal administration minister Rahim Khan, who met Siddaramaiah on Sunday, urging immediate relief and a special package for farmers.
Officials said the flood-like conditions in Kalaburagi are the result of intense rainfall combined with large releases from Maharashtra’s Ujani and Veera reservoirs. Overflowing rivers, including the Bhima and Bennethora, have further worsened the situation.
The chief minister has instructed senior officials to prioritise rescue operations. Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda and chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh have been tasked with monitoring the developments in Kalaburagi. District in-charge secretaries and top officials from the rural development and water resources departments have also been directed to visit affected areas.
Siddaramaiah emphasised that immediate attention must be given to protecting lives and livestock, alongside taking necessary precautionary measures to minimise further damage.
