Bengaluru witnesses highest deficit in rainfall since 1971

This has resulted in very high temperatures, uncharacteristic for the month of August in Bengaluru and the state. While the India Meteorological Department says that the city is yet to breach the maximum temperature of 33.3 degrees Celsius recorded in 1888, KSNDMC has recorded a maximum of 33.7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, indicating that the city has possibly surpassed the historic high.

Though most of the state is facing drought conditions due to scanty rainfall since June, the condition is particularly alarming for August, as none of the districts have received even half the rainfall for the month. As many as 28 of the state’s 31 districts have received 60 per cent less rainfall than normal, which is classified as a large deficit.

Deficiencies in catchment districts such as Kodagu (82 per cent deficit), Hassan (76 per cent deficit), Chikkamagaluru (78 per cent deficit) and Shivamogga (80 per cent deficit) have also been a cause for concern.

The cumulative deficit for the state is 73 per cent, having received just 58 mm rainfall against an average of 211 mm for the month.

These factors have reignited the Cauvery water row between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Data also shows that water levels in reservoirs were low in the South Karnataka region. In North Karnataka, meanwhile, authorities were keeping a close eye on rainfall to release water to canals from dams.

As on August 29, when the Cauvery Water Management Authority asked Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water till September 12, water storage at Krishnarajasagar dam — which supplies water to Bengaluru — was 24.27 thousand million cubic feet, which is half of what it was on the same date, last year.