With the monsoon reactivated in coastal Karnataka and Malnad region of the State, weather experts from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) have predicted good rainfall in the catchment areas of the Cauvery basin reservoirs over the next few days.
This is at a time when the storage in reservoirs is dipping below last year’s levels.
The rain witnessed in Kodagu in the last 48 hours is expected to not only continue for the next few days, but also increase in intensity by Tuesday or Wednesday. Similarly, heavy rainfall has also been forecast in other parts of Malnad region in Karnataka and Wayanad region of Kerala.
While Kodagu is the catchment area of KRS reservoir, rain in Wayanad region is the chief source of inflow of water into Kabini reservoir. Harangi reservoir in Kodagu and Hemavati dam in Hassan are also dependent on rain in Malnad region.
“Coastal Karnataka and Malnad region have been receiving good rainfall. It is part of monsoon activity, which comes in pulses beginning with coastal region before shifting to Malnad region. We can expect this to translate into good inflow into the Cauvery basin reservoirs,” said C.M. Prabhu, scientist, KSNDMC. Monsoon is expected to remain vigorous till at least August 13.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Centre in Bengaluru, which has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada for the next three days, has also forecast “heavy rain in isolated places” in Malnad districts of Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga, besides Kodagu during the period.
In view of the rain in Kodagu during the last two days, agricultural activities have peaked following the filling up of waterbodies, said a statement from Kodagu district administration. On Friday, Appachu Ranjan, Madikeri MLA, offered ‘bagina’ at Harangi reservoir to mark the water level reaching the brim.
The renewed monsoon comes at a time when farmers in the Cauvery command area in Mysuru, Hassan and Mandya have been demanding water release from the reservoir for their crops even as the State government remains averse to releasing it in view of the poor storage in the reservoirs.