Kodagu is on the edge with incessant rain battering the district and the hinterland is disconnected due to disruption in transportation caused by overflowing rivers and rivulets and uprooted trees and electricity poles blocking roads.
The Cauvery was overflowing at Triveni Sangama and road connectivity linking Bhagamandala with Madikeri and Napoklu has been disrupted, according to Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy.
The Madikeri-Chettalli Road has been partially closed as a temporary measure due to a landslip. Hence the authorities have urged motorists to avoid the stretch or take a detour via Hakathuru-Maregodu-Siddapura route. But the road to Kirudale has been cut off and the village has been marooned while a school in Napoklu has partially collapsed due to heavy rains.
The district received 107 mm of rainfall during the 24-hour period ending 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday. Some of the heaviest spell of rainfall for the year was recorded in Madikeri hobli which received 103 mm of rainfall, Bhagamandala (153), Napoklu (151) Sampaje (111), Somwarpet (106) Virajpet (115), Hudakeri (138), Srimangala (103) among others, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
This is the third year in a row that the district is receiving heavy rainfall in August after a weak spell of monsoon in June and July. This has kindled memories of large-scale devastation caused by landslides and floods in 2018 and again last year. The district has received 269 mm of rainfall since August 1as against a normal of 120 mm for the same period, which is 124 per cent above the long term average, as per the KSNDMC report.
The incessant rains since the last few days has also reduced the rainfall deficit which was 36 per cent for the period June 1 to August 4t But on Wednesday this deficit was further narrowed to 30 per cent and against a normal of 1513 mm of rains, Kodagu has received 1065 mm of rainfall as on 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the outflow from the Harangi reservoir has been stepped up and was being discharged at the rate of 10,689 cusecs which will augment the inflow into the KRS dam which is located in the downstream.
