Mangaluru, (The Hindu): Dakshina Kannada appears to be staring at another water crisis with the less than normal monsoon.

As on July 28, the district received 766 mm rainfall as against the normal rainfall of 1,217 mm and last year’s 876.5 mm, with nearly 42 % deficiency.

The rainfall throughout the year too has been meagre with 1,810.2 mm from January to July 28 as against 2,393.2 mm and last year’s 1967.2 mm, amounting to nearly 25% deficiency.

The situation is alarming and is bound to affect groundwater sources as well as flowing river water, said N.J. Devaraj Reddy, Hydro-Geologist from Chitradurga, who has done extensive studies about groundwater situation and has taken up many projects of groundwater recharge in Dakshina Kannada.

Mr. Reddy told The Hindu that the change in rain pattern — from continuous pouring to occasional heavy downpour — is bound to affect water percolation thereby affecting groundwater recharge.

The earlier pattern used to help adequate groundwater recharge while under the present pattern, a major chunk of rainwater just drains into the sea, he said. Moreover, there is no proper groundwater table in the coastal region due to the absence of aquifers, he pointed out.

The monsoon leg, which is till August-end, might not be sufficient for adequate groundwater recharge even if it rains continuously on all the remaining days. However, uneven rainfall which might occur post-monsoon could help fill the void, Mr. Reddy felt.

The situation could be scary for all, individuals, institutions as well as industries in the absence of sufficient rainfall.

Mr. Reddy said that many apartments and industries in and around Mangaluru are depending on tanker water already along with open well/ borewell and municipal water.

The solution lies in everyone preparing individual water budget and resorting to storing rainwater/ recharging groundwater.

Places such as Moodbidri would not have faced water shortage if the Kadala Kere is properly managed, from which water could be drawn to the town through gravity, he pointed out. Indiscriminate covering of the earth by concrete/ paver blocks would completely block water percolation into the ground thereby reducing groundwater level, he said.