The Indian Meteorological Departement (IMD) has issued a yellow alert to the North Karnataka region and predicted heavy rainfall on Sunday. This is said to be a crucial downpour for the region as districts like Bidar, Vijayapura and Kalaburgi are badly hit by the drought and even the state government declared a few taluks as drought hit. Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri, Koppal and other regions in the belt are also likely to see the rain.
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The Met department has also predicted severe rainfall in Coastal Karnataka, covering Dakshina Kannada, Mangaluru and Udupi districts. Meanwhile, light showers have occurred at a few parts of Bengaluru, and they are likely to continue for the next few days.
The Karnataka government on Thursday declared 195 taluks in the state as drought-hit, owing to weak monsoon. Among them, it announced that 161 taluks have been declared as severely drought-hit and 34 taluks as moderately drought-hit.
The government order further stated that monsoon arrival was delayed by about a week in June in Karnataka and the rainfall in June was at 56% deficit than in normal rainfall years.
However, rainfall improved in July and the state recorded 29% excess rainfall. Again, weak monsoon prevailed over the state in August, recording a deficit rainfall of about 73% than that of normal years. The poor rainfall in August in Karnataka was the lowest rainfall recorded in the last 125 years, the order said. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar also said that the state received deficit rainfall this year and it will run out of water if they release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. However, the Cauvery water boards directed the state government to release water to Tamil Nadu.
{{/usCountry}}However, rainfall improved in July and the state recorded 29% excess rainfall. Again, weak monsoon prevailed over the state in August, recording a deficit rainfall of about 73% than that of normal years. The poor rainfall in August in Karnataka was the lowest rainfall recorded in the last 125 years, the order said. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar also said that the state received deficit rainfall this year and it will run out of water if they release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. However, the Cauvery water boards directed the state government to release water to Tamil Nadu.
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