Belthangady: The water level flowing in the Charmady area on Tuesday September 6 became more and alarming, reminiscent of the devastating floods in September 2019. The incident took place in the evening when the waters of the Mrutyunjaya and Netravathi rivers rose sharply even though there was not much rain in nature where the rivers flowed. This created panic among the people living on the banks of the river.
Villages like Didupe, Malavantige, Mittabagil, Kadirudyavara, Mundaje, Kalmanja and other villages witnessed a sharp rise in the water level after 4.00 pm even though there was no rain. Mrityunjaya river, which flows from Charmady side, has received the highest amount of water. Though the river has overflowed several times this year, the water has not risen to such a large extent. This was due to incessant rains for nearly three hours after 3.00 pm in the bamboo, Charmady and Ghat areas, the source of the Mrityunjaya river. Many arecanut plantations, fields and small dams on the banks of the river were inundated.
Due to the overflowing of the Eluvare ponds of Kukka and Koodabettu streams, the river water levels rose in the low-lying areas of Netravathi river such as Kadirudyavara, Kanarpa, Paramukha, Nidigal, Kayarthodi Kudenchi and Mrityunjaya and Pajiradka, the confluence point of Netravathi.
Water has entered the arecanut plantations of many in these areas. But in Didupe, Kolli there was less force so the damage was less here. The water level has increased due to the connectivity of the Charmady area to the Eluvare pond and also the Battu pond.
After 7.30 pm, the water of the two rivers started receding, allaying the panic among the people in the area. A large number of timber, including wet trees, has been washed away in the two rivers. Heavy mud-mixed water has also flowed and the locals suspect that there may have been any landslide in the Ghat area.
In 2019, after two rivers flooded and disrupted normal life, the water level in these rivers rose slightly, but there is panic among the people in the areas. Water has entered arecanut plantations along with water and the extent of damage is yet to be ascertained.
