BENGALURU: After a long spell of light showers, several parts of the state received good rainfall on Wednesday. The rainfall, though will do a little to address the deficit that has affected the catchment areas of the state, meterologists say that the rains will help sowing in Central Karnataka region. Poor rainfall in the month of July has resulted in some serious concerns along the Cauvery basin where the combined water storage of four reservoirs is about 30 per cent of its full capacity. Storage level at KRS as on July 19, was a mere 12 per cent of its full capacity.
According to the forecast by Indian Meterological Department, the sudden showers are a result of monsoon becoming active in the State in the past one or two days.Also, due to the resultant heavy showers in the catchment areas of state and Kerala, there has been a slight improvement in the inflow to the reservoirs in the Cauvery command area.Good rainfall is expected to last in the State till July 21, after which the intensity of rainfall is expected to subside in the State, especially in the South-interior Karnataka region.
However, Malnad and coastal regions are expected to continue receiving good showers even after July 21.
Speaking to Express, S S M Gavaskar, Scientist at Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Cell said, the current spell of rainfall will aid sowing activities in the districts of Central Karnataka such as Ballari, Chitradurga, Davanagere and Koppal.To a question on above 50 per cent rainfall deficit in Kodagu and other districts of Malnad region, he said that the districts have been recording heavy rainfall over the past three days. “If the amount of rainfall received in the district should be equal to the average rainfall for the month of July, it has to rain heavily for a week in Kodagu to commensurate the deficit,” he said.
Grim picture
Painting a grim picture due to rain deficit are reservoir levels in the State. Apart from the ones in the Cauvery basin, dams in Bhadra basin too are carrying water levels which is lesser than they were on the same date last year.
