SHIVAMOGGA: Agumbe, known as the Cherrapunjee of the South, is staring at a severe rainfall deficit this monsoon. Known for its many rivulets and streams, the pre-monsoon rainfall in the region this year has come down drastically compared to last year. From January, the Agumbe rainforest have received only 5 cm of rain so far, as against 27 cm last year.
The reason for the severe scarcity of rainfall is mainly attributed to deforestation. As a result, scarcity of water for drinking and agriculture purposes has hit the region, including Shivamogga city.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department, Bengaluru, Agumbe rainforest received five times lower rainfall than last year. “There should have been at least 20 cm of rainfall in Agumbe till May. Normally, it receives about 15 cm of rainfall in this period. The pre-monsoon rain is a local phenomenon, unlike monsoon, which is influenced by global weather changes. The low pre-monsoon rainfall is a cause for worry,” said a Met official.
The department stated that the annual rainfall, including monsoon, is at an increasing trend as monsoon rainfall is influenced by global phenomena. The annual rainfall was 6,151.7 mm in 2016, 6,276.4 mm in 2017 and 8,208.9 mm in 2018. The normal average rainfall is 7,624.2 mm. The normal rainfall is calculated based on the rain data from the past 50 years.
Environmentalist Ajay Kumar Sharma said massive deforestation in the name of development and bagair hukum regularisation was to be blamed for the pitiful rainfall in the region. Many rivulets and streams, including Malathi and Varahi, discharge water in full force and join Tunga river, the lifeline of Shivamogga city and other parts of the state, as it joins Bhadra and flows as Tungabhadra river.
“However, those rivulets and streams are dry now. Shivamogga city is dependent on the rainfall in Agumbe. No one is bothered to understand what is happening in the region. Agumbe, which normally receives pre-monsoon showers to an extent of 198 mm in the month of March, April and May, has received only 44.2 mm rain this time. The encroachment of pristine forests in the name of bagair hukum, from rich to the poor, massive felling of trees, and unsustainable development carried out in Agumbe Ghats has resulted in massive climate change this year,” he alleged.