Madiyal tank bund breaches after heavy rains, flooding houses and fields

The bund of the Madiyal tank in Aland taluk of Kalaburagi district breached following heavy rains on Friday night, inundating several houses in Madiyal village and destroying standing crops on large tracts of farmland.

According to villagers, the tank bund, constructed in 1972, developed cracks under the impact of the downpour and gave way around 11.30 p.m. Floodwater gushed into the farm fields washing away tomato, banana, papaya, and other horticultural crops and, submerging houses in the village within minutes.

“The villagers spent sleepless night in knee-deep water inside their homes. The situation eased only by morning. The 53-year-old tank bund has not been maintained by the Minor Irrigation Department since its construction,” Bhimashankar, a resident, told The Hindu.

On Saturday, Aland Tahsildar Annarao Patil and Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Manappa Kattimani visited the village and took stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Bommanahalli bridge, which connects Kalaburagi city with several villages including Madiyal, also collapsed due to the heavy rains around midnight, severing connectivity with the district headquarters.

“The Aland–Ganagapur bridge had collapsed three days ago due to torrential rains. Officials have been indifferent, taking no concrete action to address the crisis,” Mr. Bhimashankar added.