About 42 per cent of the 3,457 minor irrigation tanks in Karnataka are dry after one month of monsoon rains and 49 per cent of the tanks has storage capacity between 30 and 50 per cent of their respective capacity. It is only in 9 per cent of the tanks that the water storage is more than 50 per cent.

A total of 3,457 minor irrigation tanks in the State has total atchkat area of 4.16 lakh hectares.

According to Karnataka minor irrigation department statistics, as on July 2, about 19 tanks are reported to be filled up to their full capacity in the 17 southern districts. A total number of 1,963 minor irrigation tanks are existing in the southern region.

In the 13 northern districts, about 52 tanks are reported to have been filled up to their full capacity. The region has 1,494 tanks.

Monsoon Progress

During July 2-8, the south-west monsoon was active with widespread rainfall over south interior Karnataka and north interior Karnataka while it was normal to weak with scattered to widespread rainfall in Malnad and Coastal regions.

South interior Karnataka: rainfall was excess in Bangalore rural, Bangalore urban, Chikkaballapura, Kolar, Ramanagara and Tumkur districts, and deficit in Chamarajanagara, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Mandya and Mysore districts. Among the 63 taluks, rainfall was excess in 29 taluks, normal in 9 taluks, deficit in 17 taluks and scanty in 8 taluks. Last year for the same period rainfall was excess in 15 taluks, normal in 12 taluks, deficit in 25 taluks and scanty in 11 taluks.

North interior Karnataka: rainfall was excess in Bagalkote, Bellary, Bidar, Bijapur, Gadag, Gulbarga, Koppala, Raichur and Yadgir districts, and deficit in Belgaum, Dharwad and Haveri districts. Among the 69 taluks, rainfall was excess in 46 taluks, normal in 9 taluks, deficit in 9 taluks and scanty in 5 taluks. Last year for the same period rainfall was excess in 36 taluks, normal in 11 taluks, deficit in 12 taluks and scanty in 10 taluks.

Malnad: it was deficit in Kodagu and Shimoga districts, and scanty in Chikamagalur and Hassan districts. Among the 25 taluks, rainfall was normal in one taluk, deficit in 13 taluks and scanty in 11 taluks. Last year for the same period rainfall was excess in 1 taluk, normal in 7 taluks, deficit in 13 taluks and scanty in 4 taluks.

Coastal: rainfall was normal in Uttara Kannada district, and deficit in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Among the 19 taluks, rainfall was excess in 4 taluks, normal in 4 taluks and deficit in 11 taluks. Last year for the same period rainfall was excess in 7 taluks, normal in 5 taluks and deficit in 7 taluks.

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