The south-west monsoon has intensified in Kodagu and Bhagamandala, the birthplace of the Cauvery, received 211 mm of rain during the 24-hour period ending 8.30 a.m. on Thursday.
This is the highest so far during the current rainy season consequent to which the Triveni Sangama was flooded. Both the Cauvery and the Kannike were in spate and there are indications of the water levels rising further. The Bhagamandala-Napoklu road was flooded and the movement of traffic has stopped.
The rainfall was widespread across Kodagu and Madikeri taluk received 160.07 mm. Ponnampet taluk received 101.57 mm while Somwarpet recorded 48.5 mm of rain during the same period and Kushalnagar got 47.50 mm of rainfall.
There was no respite from rain since Wednesday at many places, including Madikeri, till Thursday afternoon.
Besides Bhagamandala, the other places to receive good rainfall were Madikeri Kasaba (158.60 mm), Napoklu (131.20), Sampaje (138.50), Ammathi (101), Hudikeri (122), Balale (76.10), Virajpet hobli (106) Ponnampet hobli (120), Shantalli (93), Suntikoppa (64), and Kushalnagar (31).
A holiday was declared for schools across Kodagu on Thursday because of the heavy rains.
According to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Kodagu district received 87 mm of rainfall during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday. This is against the normal of 23.6 mm.
Monsoon is active in other districts as well, with Hassan receiving 18.8 mm of rainfall as against the normal of 6.1 mm while Mysuru recorded 12.8 mm of rainfall while the normal is 3 mm.
Consequent to heavy rains since the last few days, the cumulative rainfall in Kodagu for June so far is 384.8 mm. The district had slid into ‘’deficit’’ category owing to sluggish monsoon but the deficit has been bridged and it was now under ‘’normal’’ category as per KSNDMC.
As a result of the rains in the catchment area of the Cauvery in Kodagu, the rate of inflow into the Krishnaraja Sagar has increased to 3,856 cusecs. But this is expected to increase considerably in a day or two as the rainfall in Bhagamandala since Wednesday, will augment the inflow.
Heavy to very heavy rains in the catchment area of the Kapila in the Wayanad district of Kerala has augmented the inflow in to the Kabini reservoir at Beechanahalli near H.D. Kote in Mysuru district. The rate of inflow was 16,977 cusecs on Thursday, according to KSNDMC.
