The peaceful village of Madiyal, located in the Aland taluk of Kalaburagi district, woke up to a scene of widespread devastation after a historic tank bund gave way following an intense night of rainfall. The Madiyal tank, a crucial water body constructed in 1972, succumbed to the relentless downpour, breaching around 11:30 p.m. on Friday.
In a matter of minutes, a torrent of water surged through the area, engulfing numerous homes and wreaking havoc on agricultural fields. Villagers reported spending a harrowing, sleepless night trapped in knee-deep water as their houses flooded. The deluge obliterated valuable crops such as tomatoes, bananas, papayas, and other horticultural produce, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Bhimashankar, a local resident, voiced the community’s frustration, stating, “The 53-year-old tank bund has been neglected by the Minor Irrigation Department since its construction. This disaster was preventable.”
On Saturday, officials including Aland Tahsildar Annarao Patil and Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Manappa Kattimani visited the ravaged village to assess the extent of the damage.
Further exacerbating the crisis, the Bommanahalli bridge, a vital link connecting Madiyal and several other villages to Kalaburagi city, also collapsed around midnight due to the heavy rains. This rendered many communities isolated from the district headquarters.
Bhimashankar further highlighted the ongoing crisis, noting, “Just three days prior, the Aland–Ganagapur bridge also collapsed from the torrential rains. There has been a disheartening indifference from officials, with no decisive action taken to address these urgent infrastructure failures and protect our communities.”