E-Paper
Incessant downpour washes away all the records in Karnataka
It was not just Bengaluru that received unusually high rainfall in the last week. The data shows that Mysuru reported a 689% increase over the normal rainfall during the same period. Similarly, Dakshina Kannada district reported a 687% increase while Mandya received a 970% increase in rainfall.
Bengaluru received 1000 % more rainfall than average in seven days from November 11 to November 17, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. The average weekly rainfall in Bengaluru during November is 10.7 mm, but in the last week, the city received 118.1 mm of rain, as per the data.
It was not just Bengaluru that received unusually high rainfall in the last week. The data shows that Mysuru reported a 689% increase over the normal rainfall during the same period. Similarly, Dakshina Kannada district reported a 687% increase while Mandya received a 970% increase in rainfall.
According to the IMD, 17 districts in Karnataka – Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapura, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Davangere, Hassan, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Ramanagar, Tumakuru -– received large excess rainfall during this period. Districts of Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Gadag and Haveri received excess rainfall.
According to the weather department, the prediction of heavy rains is due to a network of cyclonic circulations and a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
The Director-in-charge of India Meteorological Department (IMD) Bengaluru, Geeta Agnihotri, said that the presence of multiple weather systems is unusual. “Winter hasn’t started but the temperatures have dropped. We will see such weather at least till Saturday. We predict that after Saturday, the rainfall would reduce considerably,” said Agnihotri.
Pointing out at the unusual amount of rains received in the last two months, Agnihotri said that from October 1 to November 17, Karnataka received 73 % excess rainfall. “Generally during this season, the average rainfall is 160 mm, but already we have crossed 278.88 mm rains in Karnataka,” she said.
Even though several districts have been reporting excess rainfall, six districts have reported deficiency. From October 1 to November 17, Bagalkote (-53%), Bidar (-26), Kalburgi (-14), Raichur (-15), Vijayapura (-66) and Yadgir(-37), reported a deficiency in rainfall compared to normal rainfall.
As the rainfall in the state continues to remain in excess, the concerns over crumbling infrastructure in the state, especially in Bengaluru, are a matter of concern. Over the past two weeks, the capital city is witnessing waterlogging on the roads and flooding in low-lying areas. Despite being one of India’s largest cities and globally reputed for technological prowess, the public infrastructure in Bengaluru remains one of the poorest in the country.
Another concern has been the condition of several old buildings in the city. A month after a series of building collapses in the city, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) surveyed the dilapidated buildings in the city and identified about 570 buildings in various areas. Though zonal officials slapped demolition notices on property owners, they are yet to raze a single structure. With heavy rains continuing fear of more buildings collapsing in the city.
