Although parts of Bengaluru received rain on Sunday, Kar nataka is among the 23 States and Union Territories in the country that has seen deficient rainfall so far. As of Sunday, the State had around 30% deficient rainfall.
G.S. Srinivas Reddy, Director of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centr e (KSNDMC), said on Sunday this could be attributed to the delay in the onset of monsoon. He said last year around this time, the State had received a good rainfall. The deficiency in rainfall was expected to continue throughout June, he said. Six other States and Union Territories, however, have a large deficiency of rainf all.
According to a summary report by the KSNDMC, based on the rainfall reading between June 11 and 17, Karnataka “as a whole recorded 28 mm of rainfall as against the normal 46 mm, with the percentage departure from the normal being (-)39%”.
The report states that water level in all the major reservoirs of the State was lower than that during the correspondi ng period last year. The centre has pointed out that water level in Linganamakki, Varahi, Harangi, Hemavati, Kabini, Bhadra, Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Malaprabh a, and Narayanapur reservoirs is also lower than the 10-year average level.
Geeta Agnihotri, director, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru, said the mons oon would last till September and the State would probably make up for the rainfall deficiency. She said in the coming week, IMD was expecting heavy rain in coastal Karnataka, while light to moderate rain was expected in south interior and north interior Ka rnataka.
