Good rains bring happy tidings

Most districts have received average or above average showers in June

Several parts of the State received heavy rains on Tuesday, creating a flood-like situation in the major river basins. Water levels in the major dams have seen a substantial increase.

B Puttanna, Director of Indian Meteorological Department, Bangalore, said depression in the Bay of Bengal would result in good rains in south interior Karnataka in the last week of June.

“July is the month when the rainy season really picks up with showers all over the State. We are expecting good rainfall in July,” he said.

Mysore region

The first month of monsoon of 2013 has brought cheer among the people in the region. This comes as a huge relief, following three failed monsoons in the last four years. The Mysore region and the river catchment areas have received ample showers, swelling rivers and filling reservoirs.

According to data available with the IMD, Mysore district received 74.5 mm rainfall at the end of the third week of June. This is 23 per cent excess rainfall, with still a week left in the month.

In 2012, Mysore district received 55 per cent deficit rainfall, resulting in water woes that affected the district during the peak summer months.

Flood alert

A flood alert has been issued in the wake of the increasing water level in the Kabini dam in HD Kote taluk in the district.

The level touched 2,278 feet against the maximum of 2,284 feet, with inflow recorded at 18,000 cusecs and outflow 10,000 cusecs. People residing on the river banks and low-lying areas are instructed to shift to safer and elevated areas.

Kodagu district, a key catchment area for river Cauvery, received a deficit rainfall in three of the last four monsoons. In June 2012, Kodagu district received 273.3 mm of rainfall against the average of 332 mm of rainfall. The district received 458 mm rainfall as on June 22, 2013.

Holiday for schools

River Cauvery and its tributaries are in spate in Kodagu district, due to the continuous rain since Monday.

Schools and colleges which were closed on Tuesday will not have classes on Wednesday too. The Napoklu-Murnadu road has been inundated. Crops have been washed away at Balamuri.

At Siddapura, gruel centres have been opened to help people in the low-lying areas. However, none of the residents turned up at the gruel centres till Tuesday evening.

People in Karadigodu village fear that there may be floods in the region, which saw deluge in 1994. The walls of several houses came crashing down and a cow was washed away in Nelyahudikeri in Somwarpet taluk. Many houses have been flooded. Efforts are on to open gruel centres at Bettadakadu village of Nelyahudikeri.

The water level in the Harangi reservoir near Kushalnagar has risen by 5.3 feet in the last 24 hours. The level stands at 2,836.75 feet against a maximum of 2,859 feet.

Hassan district too has received more rainfall than average in 2013. The district had suffered deficit rainfall in all of the last five monsoons. The level in the Hemavathi reservoir was 2,875.75 feet against a maximum of 2,922 feet.

Mandya district, till June 22, received average rainfall. Similar to Mysore and Kodagu districts, Mandya saw deficit rainfall in three of the last five monsoon seasons. In 2012, Mandya had 72 per cent deficit rainfall in June.

The water level in the KRS reservoir was recorded at 79.96 feet, compared to 73.5 feet on the same day last year. The inflow was 3,784 cusecs.

Chamarajanagar district is among the only two districts in the State, the other being Yadgir, that have received deficit rainfall in 2013 too, compounding the water woes. Chamarajanagar received 26.1 mm rainfall, against the average of 48.5 mm as on June 22. In 2012, the district received 83 per cent deficit rainfall.

Coastal districts

There have been intermittent rains in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

There is a flood-like situation in the Kumaradhara river, with copious rains in Kukke Subramanya and the Kumaraparvata Hills. The bridge connecting Gundya and Subramanya was submerged on Tuesday. As a result, pilgrims to the temple town had a tough time reaching there. However, the water level on the bridge started receding by evening.

In Chikmagalur district, the rivers and streams are overflowing due to continuous rains.
 
Shimoga

The inflow of water into the three major reservoirs increased following incessant rainfall that lashed various parts of the district on Tuesday.

The water level rose to 1,762 feet in Linganamakki dam and the inflow was 16,578 cusecs.

It rose to 126.7 feet in the Bhadra dam and the inflow was 8,104 cusecs. The inflow of water into the Tunga dam was 32,000 cusecs. Around 30,000 cusecs of water is being released from the dam.