Almost a month-and-a-half into monsoon, the rainfall continues to be significantly deficient in Dakshina Kannada when compared to Udupi.
The figures supplied by the Dakshina Kannada administration and India Metrological Department (IMD), Bangalore, suggest that rainfall in the district is deficient by over 22 per cent.
The farmers might not take up paddy cultivation this season. Although Ganapa V. Salian, a farmer from Kenjar, purchased seeds this year, he chose not to prepare seedlings because of the failed monsoons on the one hand and increasing cost of paddy cultivation on the other. He would usually sow the seeds in May and be ready to transplant the seedlings by the end of first week of June. Because of poor pre-monsoon showers, the well in his six-acre farm does not have sufficient water, making him not take up cultivation of paddy this time.
He said that around 10 to 12 farmers in the area had not taken up cultivation this year; some of them because of lack of rains.
The figures by IMD for the week ended July 11 put the deficiency at 22 per cent (1,107 mm as against normal 1,415 mm of rainfall from June 1 to July 11).
The district administration’s figure for January 1 to June 13 put the rainfall at 1,228.4 mm as against 1595.8 mm for the corresponding period last year. It works out to a deficiency of 23 per cent. Interestingly, Mangalore is the only taluk in the district where rainfall is more than what was recorded in the previous year. Deficiency of rainfall in Sullia was a tad less than 40 per cent.
Less than a month ago (June 18), the IMD had put the rainfall in the district as being 22 per cent deficient whereas the district administration’s figure showed a 40 per cent deficiency. Udupi, however, has received normal rainfall in the season, IMD figures showed.
The IMD’s Director In-charge B. Puttanna had hoped that rainfall in Dakshina Kannada could reach a normal range within a short period. Mr. Puttanna could not be contacted to explain why the rainfall was still deficient while the officers at IMD said they had no access to data because of a technical problem with the server.
The IMD’s weekly report predicts 34 mm to 40 mm of rainfall in the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi every day till July 18.
The report prepared in collaboration with State’s Department of Agriculture and Universities of Agricultural Sciences said the transplanted seedlings in the two districts were healthy.
It said because of higher humidity rotting of nuts and bunches of areca palms was noticed.
Farmers were advised to spray one per cent Bordeaux mixture to control the disease (Koleroga).
