Parts of Kodagu and surrounding regions received light to moderate rains on Tuesday shoring up hopes of a revival of monsoon in the Cauvery catchment area.
Besides, the district administration in Kodagu has also declared orange alert which is valid till 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday triggering expectations of the monsoon gaining traction in the days ahead. So far, Kodagu has received intermittent rainfall but it is hardly the kind of vigorous monsoon that is associated with the district and monsoon has been slack.
Kodagu district as a whole received 14.62 mm of rainfall during the 24 hours period ending 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday as against 45.16 mm of rains during the same period last year. The cumulative rains since January this year is 356.90 mm as against 891 mm for the same period last year.
Among the taluks, Madikeri received 31.85 mm of rains as against 74.30 mm on the same day last year. The cumulative rainfall since January this year till July 4 is 569.11 mm compared to 1,310.79 mm received during the same period last year. Virajpet on Tuesday received 4.08 mm of rains while Somwarpet recorded 7.92 mm.
At the hobli level, Sampaje with 64 mm and Bhagamandala with 34 mm showed signs of monsoon activity while the rains in other hoblis ranged from 0.45 mm in Somwarpet Kasaba to 22.20 at Napoklu and 20.40 mm at Shantahalli.
Forecast by the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre indicates that widespread to moderate and heavy rains may be expected in Kodagu, Hassan, Shivamogga, and Chikkamagaluru. Apart from Kodagu, orange alerts have been issued to the other three districts as well by the India Meteorological Department.
Across the catchment areas of Cauvery and its tributaries, rainfall has been categorised as ‘large deficit’ by the KSNDMC with Kodagu receiving 135 mm of rains from June 1 till July 4, which is 79% below normal. Hassan has received 70 mm during the same period and it is 63% below normal. Chikkamagaluru has received 110 mm of rains which is 71% below normal. Shivamogga received 159 mm of rainfall between June 1 and July 4 and it is 71% below normal, according to KSNDMC.
