Krishna Basin Flood: Karnataka Faces Dam Discharge, Widespread Flooding in 2025 Monsoon

Heavy monsoon rains in 2025 have triggered widespread flooding across Karnataka’s Krishna river basin, leading authorities to release unprecedented volumes of water from major reservoirs—including Almatti and Narayanpur dams—to manage surging inflows and safeguard dam integrity. The resulting downstream discharge has inundated hundreds of villages, left thousands stranded, and sparked intense rescue and relief operations along the lower reaches of the river.

The Krishna basin, a vital lifeline for irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower, is particularly vulnerable in strong monsoon years when catchment areas receive heavy rainfall over a short span. In early August, relentless precipitation filled dams to near full capacity; reservoir managers issued urgent warnings before increasing gates to manage the incoming deluge.

Villages in Raichur, Bagalkot, and Vijayapura districts have been most severely hit, with local rivers and distributaries breaching banks and engulfing homes, farmland, and transport links. Karnataka State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local administrations worked around the clock to evacuate families to higher ground and distribute food, water, and temporary shelter. School closures and power outages compounded hardships for affected communities.

Officials from the Karnataka Water Resources Department insisted that dam releases were carefully managed and coordinated with meteorological updates to minimise downstream impact. However, climate experts argue that growing precipitation intensity, silted riverbeds, and sprawling development in floodplains contribute to rising flood risks. Calls for accelerated investment in flood forecasting, catchment management, and disaster resilience are mounting as floods become more frequent and severe.