Abbi Kolli Falls, 16 km from Madikeri on the highway to Mangaluru, is a place of tourist attraction. Many commuters on the route make it a point to stop their vehicles at Abbi Kolli to enjoy the water falls adjoining the highway and the vast stretch of Western Ghat forests facing it.
Though the gushing water loses steam during the summer months, there used to be a water flow in the falls all these years. This year, however, the water falls have gone completely dry. Only a few vehicles are seen stopping at the spot now compared to many a few years ago.
Just 11 km from Abbi Kolli Falls towards Mangaluru is Koynadu village. Those who pass by stop their vehicles here to offer prayers at the Ganapati temple near the highway. The flow of water in the Payaswini river adjoining the temple is slowing by the day this year. This was not the case till a few years ago.
The Sampaje Ghat stretch between Madikeri and Mangaluru on the national highway No. 275 witnessed major landslides at different locations on August 17, last year. Landslides and floods had devastated many parts of Kodagu district as well in the same month.
Villagers in Koynadu had told this reporter during a visit a month after the floods and landslides that the water level in the stream had fallen to one-fourth of its normal level post-landslides.
Pointing out the drastic fall in water level in the river, Binu Francis from the village said the silt accumulation alone, after the landslides in the ghat section, cannot be the reason for the fall.
When this reporter visited the location in April this year, Francis said water flow in the river-- there used to be water flow in the river up to May, has come down drastically now. The situation will worsen if the summer rains fail.
Referring to the complete drying up of Abbi Kolli falls, he wondered if the water flow has changed its course after the landslides last year.
Expressing concern over the fall in water level in the stream flowing in his village, Ganesh K from Madenadu on Madikeri-Mangaluru highway said he is witnessing such a situation for the first time.
Most villagers there depend on water in the stream. In fact, this area was witnessing constant rainfall at regular intervals during summer months. “We used to get rain for 5-10 days during February,” he said, adding that the region did not witness that rain till April first week this year. The village had a few drops of rainfall in first week of April. Data available from the Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru, shows a deficit post-monsoon and winter rainfall.
Kodagu witnessed a rainfall of 197.1 mm during October-December of 2018, recording a departure of 32 per cent against the normal rainfall of 290.8 mm. The winter rainfall during January-Febraury of 2019 stood at 1.8 mm, a departure of 76 per cent against a normal of 7.7 mm.
The situation related to water scarcity is no different in coastal Karnataka abutting western ghat regions such as Kodagu.
Patte Venugopal, an arecanut grower from Puttur taluk, said there was no rain in the second half of October. This made him to start pumping water from his traditional water tank in his plantation in November itself.
Stating that water scarcity is quite serious this year compared to the last five years, he said the traditional water tank, which is spread over an acre of land in his arecanut plantation, used to dry up by mid-March earlier. However, it dried up in the beginning of February itself this year.
“That means there is a 40-day water shortage in my land. Usually, we get some rains in the second half of March. We need continuous two rains. If that is done, we can manage for seven days,” he said, adding such rains were absent this time.
Dakshina Kannada district recorded a rainfall of 323.6 mm during October-December, 2018 against the normal rainfall of 334.5 mm, and 1.1 mm against the normal of 2.6 mm during January–February.
Rising temperature
Manchi Srinivas Achar, president of All-India Areca Growers’ Association, said the water scarcity may have an impact on arecanut yield. Farmers face around 5 per cent of crop loss every year due to various reasons. He feared that the loss will be an additional 10-15 per cent this year as the increase in the temperature level will lead to shedding of tender arecanut (commonly known as button shedding).
The temperature went up to as high as 41 degree celsius in some parts of coastal Karnataka in March this year, which was not the case earlier. Though some locations received a few drops of rain, it won’t help unless the region gets good summer rains, he said.
Farmers in Kodagu are also facing problems following a rise in temperature.
Though Ganesh of Madenadu had lost three acres of land during the landslides in August, he had nursed some hopes on the coffee crop in the small chunk of land that was not affected.
The unusual high temperature in his village has led to loss in coffee flowering also. There is no difference between temperature levels in Mangaluru or Madikeri now, he said.
“Usually we irrigate for around eight hours for an acre of coffee plantation. That much of irrigation is also not helping us save the crop this time,” he said. Only a few people have water for irrigation and those, who don’t have, nothing is left for them.
Satish TG of Madikeri said that the temperature in his town gone up to 38 degree celsius this year. It has not gone beyond 33 degree celsius earlier. There was no need for fans at home earlier, but that is not the case now, he said.
“I was born in Madikeri, and I am 42-year-old now. But I have not experienced such a situation till now,” he said.
Borewells
A proliferation of borewells at the village level has been cited as one of the main reasons for the decline in water table. Venugopal said nearly 100 borewlls came up within 3 the km radius of his house in 2016. Many drilled borewells fearing water stress in the coming years, though there was no need for them to do that at that stage.
Achar said there were only two borewells in 25 acres of land near his home 30 years ago.
Then the water in the borewell was available at a depth of around 120 ft. The number of borewells increased manifold over the years. In many cases, people get water in the borewell after reaching a depth of 400-600 ft now, he said.
Even a person with half an acre of land is now going for borewells to meet his drinking water requirements, though he does not have agriculture land, he said.
Urban warning
Sullia, which is the main urban centre down in the foothills of western ghats, also witnessed heavy rains along with Kodagu during the monsoon.
But the Payaswini river flowing in Sullia taluk (bordering Kodagu district) has also gone dry.
K Gangadhar, a resident of Sullia, said that though the taluk received around 4,900 mm of rainfall in 2018, the absence of rain during the October-November period led to this stage.
To avoid a crisis situation in the temple town of Udupi, the city municipality began water rationing in the last week of March. The municipality is supplying water to the town on alternate days. This followed a fall in the water level at Baje dam across Swarna river.
The administrators at the municipality think that the water rationing will help the town tide over the water situation till the end of May.
In Mangaluru, drinking water supply to the town is not yet affected.
However, water rationing is likely if there are no summer rains in the Western ghat sections that feed water to the River Nethravathi. However, Mangaluru City Corporation has already started water rationing for industries.
The Mangaluru City Corporation supplies water to Mangaluru city from Tumbay dam across Nethravathi River.
This is the fifth part in the Drought series. The previous report appeared on April 11