Are Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in grip of drought?

Experts fear that due to rainfall deficit, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu might face drought in the coming days.

Bengaluru, July 20: The impact of climate change is quite visible across India. On the one hand, states like Assam and Odisha are facing the devastation caused by floods, and on the other hand, south Indian states--Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu--are staring at a drought.

The drought-like situation in these three states of south is the result of deficit rainfall during the monsoon season last year. These three states also did not receive enough amount of rainfall during the "retreating" monsoon season (October-December) last year too.

The monsoon or rainy season in India usually starts from June and ends in September.
The season is dominated by the humid southwest summer monsoon, which slowly sweeps across the country beginning in late May or early June. The monsoon rains begin to recede from North India at the beginning of October.

Experts fear that if these states don't receive enough rainfall this ongoing monsoon season, then drought would be imminent. Unfortunately, rainfall has been below-normal in these three southern states, this monsoon.

The weathermen are hoping that in the coming few days, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu would receive enough rainfall to save themselves from drought.

"In 2016, south interior Karnataka recorded 22 per cent deficit rainfall during the southwest monsoon season (June-September), while it was minus 21 per cent for coastal Karnataka, minus 34 per cent for Kerala and 20 per cent for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The numbers were even worse--at minus 70, minus 63 and minus 62 per cent each, respectively for the four meteorological subdivisions--for the northeast or 'retreating' monsoon (October-December), which brings significant amount of rain, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala," stated a report by The Indian Express.

"A repeat scenario looks to be unfolding this year as well. While India as a whole has received an average area-weighted rainfall of 343.4 mm during the current monsoon season until July 19, one per cent more than the historic 'normal' of 338.4 mm for this period, rain has so far been below-normal in south interior Karnataka (minus 33 per cent), coastal Karnataka (minus 11 per cent), Kerala (minus 24 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (minus 19 per cent)," added the report.

Due to deficit rainfall, water in major dams in these states is drying up fast. The water level in all the four major reservoirs of the Cauvery basin in Karnataka--Krishna Raja Sagara or KRS in Mandya district, Hemavathy (Hassan), Kabini (Mysore) and Harangi (Kodagu)--is much lesser this year compared to last year.

The depletion of water level has caused great worry for the farmers as they can't sow their lands. Moreover, water sharing, especially from the Cauvery basin, is a big political issue in the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Amid all these bad news, weathermen forecast that these three states are unlikely to receive enough rains in the coming days.

"There is possibility of some scattered rainfall in south interior Karnataka and Kerala over the coming two days, but it will not be enough to compensate for the current deficit in this area," Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, head of services at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Experts fear that like in 2014 and 2015, when drought brought misery to Maharashtra, this time it is the turn of three south Indian states to face the vagaries of nature.

OneIndia News