BENGALURU: The torrential downpour, which has inundated Kodagu district and thrown life out of gear, is the highest rainfall received in the monsoon season till August 16 since 1994. Considering the month of August alone, this is the highest rainfall since 2007. With 12 more days left in the month, chances are that this August will be the wettest since the turn of the millennium.
Forecasts have provided a mixed bag for the embattled district suffering from repeated landslides causing immense damage to life and property. Though the intensity of rainfall is expected to reduce in the next two days, windy conditions are expected to prevail. Isolated spells of very to very heavy rainfall is also forecast, affecting the massive rescue and relief activity being carried out in the flood-hit district.
According to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Cell, the highest rainfall between August 1 to 16 till date was in 1986, where the district had received almost two and a half times the normal rainfall for the period. In 2018, between the same period, deviation from normal is 83 per cent or about two times the normal rainfall for the period. In 2007, the deviation from normal was 108 per cent — which is the highest since 2000.
Considering rainfall since the beginning of monsoon season — from June 1 to August 16 — rains received this year in Kodagu is the second highest since 1994. During that year, the district had received 56 per cent more rainfall than normal for the period, while it has received 41 per cent more rainfall this year. That is, against a normal of around 2100 mm for the period, Kodagu received around 3,000 mm.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, C S Patil, Director in-charge of the Indian Meteorological
Department (IMD), said widespread rainfall has been forecast for Coastal and Malnad districts for the next five days. “In Ghat areas of Kodagu, Hassan, Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru, heavy and very heavy rainfall is forecast. However, the intensity will be lower than the rainfall recorded in the last few days,” he said.
SSM Gavaskar, a scientist at KSNDMC, said this was only the sixth highest rainfall for August since 2007. “However, heavy rainfall along with man-made problems led to the disaster,” he said.
Kodagu rainfall (Aug 1-16)
83 %
above normal
Highest since 2007
Sixth highest since 1997
Cumulative rainfall
(June 1 - Aug 16)
41 %
above normal
Second highest since 1994
Dept to depute 20 doctors
The Medical Education Department has decided to send 20 doctors to take part in relief activities. The doctors will extend their services to Kodagu. Staffers from the department have decided to donate their one day’s salary.
Rescue ops pick up as rain subsides
Madikeri: Even as rescue operations picked up in the flood-ravaged Kodagu district on Saturday with rain subsiding, two deaths were reported at Jodupala on Saturday. A rescue team has shifted 20 villagers from Jodupala and 40 people from 2nd Monnangeri to safety. Nearly 100 are yet to be rescued from Mukkodlu village, Roadblocks are yet to be cleared.
Sharavathi inundates Honnavar villages
Karwar: Many villages on the banks of Sharavathi River in Honnavar taluk were inundated on Saturday. The district administration has set up three rehabilitation centres and shifted many families. On Friday, Gerusoppa dam in Honnavar taluk had released 70,000 cusecs of water into the Sharavathi river. The water gushed into paddy and coconut fields. The houses at Nagarabastiberi and Melina Idagunji were inundated and two rehabilitation centres have been opened in schools in these two villages.
BBMP engineers, doctors to go to Kodagu
Bengaluru: A team from BBMP, including engineers and doctors, will visit rain-affected areas in Kodagu. While engineers from Town Planning will construct temporary sheds, doctors will provide medical assistance. This apart, the civic body is donating funds along with other essential materials. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mayor Sampath Raj said they are contributing D1 crore to Kodagu and Kerala relief funds each. This apart, D1.28 crore, which includes a one-month honorarium of all the 198 councillors and one-day salary of BBMP officials, has been donated to the CM’s relief fund.