The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rainfall for the next three days across Karnataka. If it rain the same intensity as Wednesday over the next three days in the catchment areas of various rivers, all the reservoirs will be filled to the brim. This, in turn, will improve the power and water situation.
L Ramesh Babu, director-in-charge, IMD, Bengaluru, said the monsoon had become active now. “This time, rainfall has been good in North Interior Karnataka because of the depression over Odisha and central Bay of Bengal. This depression has now become well-marked, due to which bountiful rainfall has been forecast for the entire state,” he said.
Bountiful rainfall in the next three days will help address power and water shortage, said officials from the IMD and the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
But overall rainfall for the entire state is poised to be deficient. Rain deficit in the Western Ghats is a staggering 66% and in the southern plains 50%.
According to Babu, Western Ghats and coastal Karnataka get rain in the first half of monsoon while it rains in South Interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the second half. “Karnataka has received 303 mm rainfall so far against the actual 365 mm, which is a deficit of 30%. During the same period last year, Karnataka had received 368.4 mm rainfall,” he said.
IMD records show that rainfall has been deficient in the catchment areas of the rivers this year compared with 2016. That’s because the monsoon arrived late this year. Strong winds and moisture content in the atmosphere caused further drop in the rainfall.
For example, Kodagu had received 961.2 mm rainfall till July 19 in 2016. This year, it has received just 694.9 mm against the average normal of 1,116.1 mm. Chamarajanagar received 82.8 mm rainfall in 2016 but just 24.4 mm this year against the normal of 103.6 mm. Similar is the case with Mysuru. Last year, the district received 175.5 mm rainfall, but just 58.6 mm this year against the normal of 137.9 mm. The plight of Mandya is no different. The district received 106.6 mm in 2016 but just 33.7 mm this year against the normal of 76.4 mm.
Catchment areas in Shivamogga had received 919.3 mm rainfall in 2016 but just 600.5 mm this year against the normal of 750 mm.
Bagalkot received 162.4 mm in 2016 against the normal of 120.2 mm, but just 104.8 mm this year. Belagavi received 315.6 mm in 2016 against the normal of 261.6 mm. This monsoon, it has received only 246.8 mm.
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