Statistics say deficit rains in Udupi, even as monsoon wreaks havoc

Udupi: This coastal district had been on the headlines for all the rains it had received and had wreaked havoc in the last 15 days - 7 people killed, miles of beaches ravaged, caved in highways and inundated fields and towns, but despite all that the district still t has received deficit rains in a typical monsoon calendar.

As opposed to the 1,760 mm of normal rainfall that should have fallen between January 1 and July 10, the district only received 1,327 mm. The district should have received 1,750 mm rainfall to call it normal rainfall, but the district received just 1,324 mm from April 1 to July 10. In June month, Udupi district’s normal rainfall is 1,106 mm, however the district actually received 519 mm last month.

This trend of deficit rainfall will have a bearing on the ground water level during the summer months. None of the district’s major rivers went above their danger threshold this year. Sita River’s danger level is 18 metres, but on Sunday, the river’s water level was 12.85 metres. At the Halady River, the danger level is 8 metres. On Sunday, it had risen to 3.01 metres. The Swarna River’s danger level is 23 metres, but on Sunday, the river’s water level was only 19.5 metres. The Shambhavi River has a danger water level of 55.36 metres, and on Sunday, this river’s water level was 55.13 metres. No other rivers in the district experienced a significant rise in water level, with the exception of the Shambhavi River in the south. The country’s rivers’ water levels are measured by the Central Water Commission.

According to experts, the lack of rainfall is a major cause for concern, and the district administration should concentrate on water conservation initiatives to prevent the drought from beginning at the start of the following summer. No rivers in the state’s coastal region are overflowing. According to him, this scenario should be viewed as a red flag and vented dam construction across rivers and streams should be given priority. The minister in charge of the Udupi district, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, is of the opinion that a team of specialists in geography must study the situation and water conservation must be given top priority.