This year’s rains came as a huge relief to people in the perennially drought-hit Pavagada taluk of Tumakuru district, which was reeling under drought for the past 14 years.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Pavagada taluk has received 108mm of rainfall in October. This is much higher than the normal rainfall of 63mm for the same period in the taluk.
The cumulative rainfall in the taluk from January 1 to October 11 is 532mm against the normal rainfall of 464mm. From October 4 to October 10, the taluk received 68mm of rainfall against the normal of 34mm.
Almost all the 148 lakes and tanks in the taluk are overflowing. Only 12 tanks are now partially filled.
River comes alive
Uttara Pinakini river, which was dry for over a decade, is brimming with water following the recent rains. The barrage at Nagalamadike is almost full.
President of Pavagada taluk panchayat Sogadu Venkatesh told The Hindu , "We are very happy that the Uttara Pinakini river, which was dead for over 15 years, has started to flow again and is increasing the groundwater table in the drought-hit taluk."
The taluk was facing an acute shortage of drinking water. Borewells had to be sunk more than 1,200 feet to get water, he said.
Doddahalla lake, near Achchammanahalli, which had not filled up for the past 22 years, has been overflowing over the past few days.
“The recent rains, which have filled up water bodies in the taluk, will provide drinking water to the 2.43 lakh population of 214 villages for at least one-and-a-half years. Borewells, which had gone dry, are recharged due to the rains,” he said.
Impact on crops
Due to the failure of monsoons, sowing of groundnut, toor dal and other crops had been carried out only in around 7,000 hectares against the targeted area of 68,500 hectares.
President of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Pavagada taluk, Pujarappa said that the recent rains will help farmers who have already sown crops. There have been breaches in Gundarlahalli lake, Dalavayihalli lake, Hosahalli lake and Kyataganacherlu lake due to heavy rains. “The water is going waste. If the water was stored, it would have provided drinking water to livestock for the next few months at least, and also helped recharge borewells in the surrounding areas,” he said.
Prodded by farmers, the taluk administration has promised to carry out repairs to stop leakage of water from the lakes.
