Almost halfway through the southwest monsoon, the catchment area of the Cauvery in Kodagu district has received less than normal rains and there are concerns about whether the rainfall deficiency will reduce in the days ahead.
In Kodagu, the seasonal deficiency from June 1 to July 16 is 49%. As against the normal rainfall of 1,120.8 mm, the district has received only 573.9 mm, as per Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre data. Monsoon activity has been declared as weak and rainfall distribution as scattered.
The district, on the whole, received 87.05 mm of rain, as against the normal of 200.30 mm, from July 10 to 16, which is 57% below normal. The cumulative rainfall for July as on date is 315.35 mm of rain, as against the normal of 498.4 mm — which is 37% below normal.
The deficiency is spread across the three taluks. Madikeri has received 407.2 mm of rain in July so far, against the normal of 683.2 mm — 40% below normal — and the seasonal rainfall from June 1 to July16 is 729.7 mm — which is 54% below normal.
Somwarpet has received 177.4 mm of rain in July, against the normal of 304.5 mm — 42% below normal — and the cumulative rainfall from June 1 till date is 323.2 mm, against the normal of 728.2 mm — 56% below normal. In Virajpet, the normal rainfall from July 1 to 16 is 456.7 mm, but it has recorded 318.8 mm of rain this month — which is 30% below normal. The cumulative rainfall from June 1 to July 16 is 589.6 mm, as against the normal of 946.5 mm — which is 38% below normal.
There were signs of monsoon gathering steam about 10 days ago when Bhagamandala received rains in excess of 100 mm for the first time during the current season for two consecutive days. This led to a marginal surge in the inflow to the Krishnaraja Sagar in Mandya district. But subsequently, the rains abated. During the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 3.7 mm of rain was received, as against the normal of 25.9 mm.
