September 29, 2025, marks a grim milestone in north Karnataka as the Bhima River’s unchecked swell has submerged over 85 villages across districts like Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Vijayapura, and Raichur, displacing more than 10,000 residents and inflicting widespread devastation on crops, homes, and infrastructure. Triggered by incessant rains in upstream Maharashtra and subsequent massive releases from the Ujani Dam, the river’s fury has turned fertile farmlands into vast inland seas, isolating communities and halting daily life in this drought-prone belt.