Flood alert in Karnataka's rain-hit Mysuru

A flood alert has been issued for low-lying areas in Mysuru district where water in the Kabini reservoir is nearing its maximum capacity following heavy rains this week in its catchment area, a district official said on Friday.

"The district administration has issued warning to people living along the Kabini river banks and in the low-lying areas to be careful as the dam authorities are releasing water from the reservoir as it is nearing its full capacity," Mysuru District Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Shankar told IANS over phone.

As on Friday morning, the dam had over 13 TMC of water of its total capacity of about 16 TMC, forcing the authorities to release water from the reservoir, said Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) Director G.S. Srinivasa Reddy.

"With the continuing rains, the dam will be full to its maximum capacity by Saturday. So the dam authorities have decided to release some water back into the river," Reddy told IANS here.

With an increased outflow of water, the authorities have also warned people living along the banks to be alert in case of flooding as a precautionary measure, he added.

Incessant rains since the onset of Southwest monsoon on June 4 in the catchment areas have increased the water levels in four dams -- Kabini, Krishna Raja Sagara, Hemavathi and Harangi in the Cauvery river basin in the state's southwest region.

In the past 24 hours, Mysuru district received a maximum rainfall of 6 cm.

Timely onset of monsoon has filled ponds, tanks with rain water and recharged water bodies in the state's coastal, central and south interior regions. In the last week, coastal and south interior districts of the southern state received very heavy to moderate rainfall.

Over one week's period, coastal Dakshina Kannada received an average of 53.4 cm of rain, Uttara Kannada 34.7 cm, Udupi 52.3 cm and south interior district Hassan 52.3 cm, Kodagu 57.6 cm and Chikkamagaluru 30 cm, according to the data from KSNDMC.

As monsoon advanced into the state and intensified this week, sowing activity is in full swing for a bumper kharif crop by September-October, officials said.

Over the coming week, the monsoon will have a subdued activity in the state, with the intensity of rains going down, Reddy said.

"The monsoon is predicted to have a revival after June 22, when Bengaluru and other interior regions are expected to receive rains," he added.

--IANS

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