Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 11: During the last week, the twin districts Udupi and Dakshina Kannada together accounted for only 276 mms of rainfall as against the normal rainfall of 576 mm, accounting for a deficit of over 50%. While there is no reason for the paddy fields located at lower altitudes to press the panic button as yet, others have a problem on hand.

Deficit rainfall has been reported from almost all the districts of the state, with Gulbarga and Bijapur receiving no rains at all.  The state's average rainfall is 62 cms but the actual rainfall has been a meagre 21 cms so far.

During the last 24 hours, almost all of the places in the coastal belt and hinterlands received rainfall, although intermittently. Subrahmanya recorded the maximum of 4 cms of rainfall followed by Dharmasthala and Agume at 3 cms each with most other places recording about a cm of rainfall each.

Wide-spread rainfall is predicted for the next two days. While city dwellers are happy to have not been bothered by the rains much this time around, people residing in rural places are worried over the scant rainfall. The predictions of rainfall based on movement of stars, which is the ancient system trusted by many farmers, has gone for a spin. Even predictions made by the meteorological department have been proved wrong many a time this year.