The timely onset of monsoon in the first week of June with moderate to heavy rains has been followed by a lull with rains being isolated and scattered since the last one week in the catchment area of the Cauvery.
Rainfall has been below normal for the period June 1 to 15 in Kodagu and Chikkamagalur. As a result of the slackening of the monsoon Kodagu which is the catchment area for Cauvery and Chikkamagalur which is the source for Hemavathy, have slid into rainfall deficit districts.
Kodagu received 146.44 mm of rainfall from June 1 till 15 which is 23 per cent below normal and Chikkamagalur received 88 mm of rainfall during the same period and which is also 23 per cent below normal. But Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar have received above normal rains during the fortnight.
While Mysuru received 64.8 mm of rain between June 1 and 15 which is 40 per cent above normal, Mandya has received 72.9 mm or 85 per cent above normal. Chamarajanagar has received 76.5 mm of rain during the same period which is 106 per cent above normal, according to KSNDMC.
Though there were concerns about the slackening of monsoon, authorities say these are still early days and the monsoon is expected to gather vigour in the days ahead.
According to India Meteorological Department, the monsoon was weak over the State while the KSNDMC noted that the rainfall distribution across the State was “isolated”. This is because only 6 per cent of the rain gauge stations installed at Gram Panchayats have recorded rainfall in excess of 2.5 mm during the 24-hour period ending 8.30 a.m. on Sunday.
Rainfall was described as isolated in Kodagu, Hassan, Mysuru, and Ramanagara while Chamarajanagar and Mandya were categorised as Dry by the KSNDMC.
The KSNDMC described Dry as when no rain gauge station reports any rain and it is isolated if 25 per cent of the rain guage stations record a rainfall of more than 2.5 mm likewise widespread is defined when more than 76 per cent of the rain gauge stations record a rainfall of more than 2.5 mm.
Mysuru received 0.1 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Sunday against a normal of 2.7 mm while Ramanagar also recorded 0.1 mm of rains against a normal of 1.5 mm. There were no rains in Mandya and Chamarajanagar during the same period.
Published - June 16, 2024 07:11 pm IST
