Mysuru district recorded 68 mm of rainfall during the 24-hour period ending 8.30 a.m. on November 5 following incessant overnight rains.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), this is the highest for November in the last 10 years. The all-time high was recorded on November 4, 1994 when the district received 106.6 mm of rainfall.
Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre has said that the highest rainfall in the region during the last 24 hours was recorded in Nelligere gram panchayat limits in Nagamangala taluk of Mandya district (174 mm).
Mysuru district has received 304 mm of rainfall against a normal of 156 mm from October 1st to November 4th, which is 95% higher than normal.
The incessant rains have highlighted the ecological fragility of Chamundi Hills where a portion of the road leading to the Nandi statue caved in yet again on November 5, the third time in a fortnight. The road had caved in on October 20, and suffered further damage a few days ago. The retaining wall has caved in and with it a portion of the road too has been washed away.
Meanwhile, PWD engineers and officials have maintained that the repair work is yet to be taken due to continuous rains. An expert team will inspect the terrain and suggest a technical solution before repairs can be taken up.
At the Hebbal industrial area, Jain Kaigarike Cotton Waste – a small scale unit – was inundated. Suresh Kumar Jain, proprietor of the unit and secretary of Mysore Industries Association, said water had entered the factory as the storm water drain outside was clogged with building debris and other waste.
The wet weather prompted Hassan District Planters’ Association (HDPA) to appeal to the Coffee Board and the Union Government to rescue coffee growers who are in dire straits following untimely rains.
HDPA chairman K.N. Subramanya said it had been raining in offee-growing areas since June this year. Incessant rains have brought down the yield of black pepper and coffee, which has led to a huge loss to farmers. Growers have been struggling to dry harvested coffee beans.
Growers require driers and poly-houses to maintain the quality of coffee. The Board has appealed for subsidy. The association also wants the government to include coffee in the list of crops that get benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (crop insurance scheme).
Besides that, growers are getting a price lower than the prevailing rates in the international market. They want the Coffee Board and the Union Government to ensure that growers are not cheated by middlemen.
