There are signs of the timely onset of South West Monsoon in Kodagu district parts of which had extensive cloud cover and received light to moderate rains on Tuesday.
The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast the monsoon to hit the State around June 5 and the build-up seem to indicate it.
According to the local authorities, the district had received 6.63 mm of rainfall for the 24-hour period ending 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday. Talukwise, Madikeri received 15.7 mm of rainfall, Virajpet 3.2 mm and Somwarpet 1 mm. However, Sampaje received 11 mm, Napoklu 13.4 mm and Bhagamandala 33 mm of rainfall.
Though the IMD had declared an Orange alert for Kodagu for May 31 and June 1, it passed off without any significant downpour. However, the district administration has braced for the worst-case scenario as Kodagu was devastated by floods and landslides in 2018 and again in 2019.
Meanwhile, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team of 25 persons under commanding officer R.K. Upadhyaya has already reached the district. The 10th battalion of NDRF arrived from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and will help in rescue and relief operations in case of flood or landslide. The team will camp in Kodagu till the end of August.
