Pune-Bangalore highway may be opened for emergency supplies

Rivers along the Pune-Bangalore highway were flooded due to incessant rainfall for last four days due to which the highway has been closed at several locations for vehicular traffic. Kolhapur flooding causes transport blockage. Some roads have been hit by waist-deep flooding. Many recalled the 2005 floods in and around the city. Weather forecasters expect more heavy rain in the next 24 hours.

Parts of the Belgaum-Kolhapur national highway were closed due to heavy rain from 23 July to 26 July. Meanwhile, Maharashtra opened the gates of Koyna dam to release around 20,000 cusecs of water into the Koyna river, a tributary of the Krishna river, which flows in northern Karnataka.

The fourth automatic gate of Radhanagari dam opened as the dam filled to 100% of its capacity. The rest of the three gates will be opened step-wise depending on the intensity of rainfall in the catchment area. The excess rainfall alert is also issued for Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts.

After viewing the situation of flood conditions by authorities, there is possibility of opening Pune-Banglore highway in the afternoon for emergency heavy vehicles carrying emergency supplies.