BENGALURU: Of the past 15 years, 13 have been drought years in Karnataka. And this year doesn’t bode too well either, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). The worrying scenario doesn’t end there. KSNDMC authorities also state that after desert state Rajasthan, Karnataka has the most extent of land ravaged by drought, with 80 per cent of its land prone to drought.
While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a normal rainfall this year, doubts linger. Last year too, the IMD had projected an above normal 108 per cent of rainfall in India. Though some parts of the country, including Madhya Pradesh, witnessed good rainfall, south Indian states witnessed severe drought. Last year, of the 176 taluks in Karnataka, 160 were declared as drought hit. This year, the IMD has predicted 95 per cent rainfall, which is five percent less than normal.
“When they predicted more rainfall last year, the state witnessed severe drought. This year they are projecting less rain, so we cannot predict how much rainfall the state will receive,” KSNDM director Srinivas Reddy told Express. In preparation, the government is already planning to go for cloud seeding.
During a workshop on weather information, Reddy said that while the state has been hit by deficit rainfall, it has curiously also seen flooding. “Since 2001, state witnessed 13 years of drought and 10 years of flooding,’’ he said.
Last year, the state witnessed 26 per cent deficit rainfall. Malnad belt, which plays an important role in recharging dams as a catchment area, saw 34 per cent rain deficit which is more than the state average.
There are 3,598 tanks that come under minor irrigation department. “Of these, 75 per cent of them are bone dry, while the rest have little water left,” Reddy added.