As if the Supreme Court’s order directing Karnataka to release water hasn’t caused enough distress, senior officials in the State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre reportedly said that drought might be declared in Cauvery’s birthplace- Kodagu.
In The Times of India report by Manu Aiyappa Kanathanda, senior officials said that that this year the entire district might be declared drought hit. Three taluks of the district were included in the list compiled by the Karnataka government.
“If the current rainfall fails to overcome the deficit, the coffee district may be declared drought-hit ….” said a senior district official.
The newspaper reported that the data from KSNDMC show that between June 1 and September 12, the district has received 1449.72mm rainfall against the normal of 2219.20mm.
“Water is essential in the summer months to protect our coffee plantations from heat. Rain is all the more important in Kodagu, where large number of people rely on wells, borewells and lakes for drinking water,” said KN Chitiappa, an office-bearer.
According to a government report, out of the 790 tmcft of water that is collected in the Cauvery basin, Kodagu alone accounts for 400 tmcft.
The agriculture department pointed out that the state might be affected heavily because of the water shortage. It had earlier put a complete ban on paddy cultivation in the Cauvery basin, however, after water was released to the canals from the Krishnarajasagara (KRS) dam on September 8, Mandya farmers started planting paddy.