JOIN USAfter a week’s delay, the Southwest monsoon entered coastal Karnataka but did not advance further, much to the disappointment of people in the interior regions as even the rainswept districts of Kodagu and Chikmagalur remained parched on Sunday.
Usually, monsoon hits the coastal city of Mangalore on June 1 or 2. However, it was delayed by a week this year. Mangalore city received good rain on Sunday, two days after many parts of the district got showers.
Kodagu and Chikmagalur districts remained cloudy for some time on Sunday but there was no trace of any rain in both the districts. “Usually, both Kodagu as well as Chikmagalur districts used to receive rains before June 3. But this year, there is no trace of rain yet,” said a planter in Kodagu.
On the other hand, the monsoon gained momentum in Kerala on the same day. “Rain occurred in most places in Kerala and at a few places in Lakshadweep,” PTI reported quoting a statement from Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Heavy rainfall, exceeding 7 cm, has been predicted at isolated places in Kerala and Lakshadweep till June 10. Kottayam registered the highest rainfall of 7 cm.
In Mangalore, people heaved a sigh of relief as the showers brought down the temperature. The onset of monsoon is expected to ease the water problems in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts that are reeling under severe water scarcity.
In the city, weekend plans of the people, especially the younger lot, were dashed by the monsoon’s sudden arrival.
Some of the interior areas of Udupi district reported good rains whereas other areas, especially villages in Kundapur taluk, received no more than a drizzle. The lingering clouds, however, gave farmers a reason to hope for better days.