The Panchganga river’s water level has above the alert threshold as a result of the recent torrential rains in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district, authorities said on Thursday. Six riverside communities’ residents have reportedly been ordered to relocate to safer areas.
At 11 a.m. on Thursday, the Panchganga river’s level at Rajaram weir was 40.6 feet, according to the district disaster cell. At the weir, the danger mark is 43 feet away, while the warning mark is 39 feet away. The district government reported that a total of 81 bunds (barrages) in the area had been flooded as a result of the rainfall.
The upstream Radhanagari dam’s five automatic gates were opened on Wednesday, increasing the water output. It said that as a consequence, the Panchganga and other rivers’ water levels began to rise. According to an official, “the district administration appealed to people living along the banks of the river in Fejiwade, Londhewadi, Ghotwade, Gudal, Piral and Padli villages to move to safer areas as a precautionary measure and to cope up with a possible flood situation.”
One of the five Radhanagari dam gates that were opened has now been shut. According to a representative of the disaster cell control room, water is being released at a rate of 7,112 cusec (cubic foot per second), and the dam is practically filled to its full capacity. The Radhanagari dam has a total storage capacity of 8.3 TMC (thousand million cubic foot).
According to the Kolahpur government, the Almatti dam, whose water drains into Karnataka, is now at 89 TMC stock, or 72% of its capacity. “Almatti Dam is releasing water at a rate of 85,857 cusec. The Panchaganga river level is rising virtually continuously as water is discharged from the Almatti dam; it has been averaging 40.5 feet since Wednesday night. Today’s rainfall has also decreased in severity, according to a disaster cell official.
According to district collector Rahul Rekhawar, the irrigation departments of Maharashtra and Karnataka closely coordinate with regard to managing the dams.