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Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Mangaluru/Udupi, Jun 20 (IANS): Incessant rains measuring up to 15 cm lashed Karnataka's coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttar Kannada till Wednesday morning as the southwest monsoon remained active over the region.
"As on Wednesday morning, the southwest monsoon remained active over coastal Karnataka and was weak in north interior Karnataka," the Bengaluru centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on its website.
The widespread monsoon rains led to flooding of arterial roads and national highways in the cities and towns affecting vehicular movement.
Rains in Udupi
There were also reports of damage to some bridges and houses in the coastal districts. But schools and colleges in the region remained open.
The heavy rains took a break through the day on Wednesday as their intensity reduced, according to the weather office.
While an average of 12 cm rainfall was received in the port city of Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district till 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, measured over the last 24 hours, Uttara Kannada and Udupi received an average rainfall of 8.9 cm and 10.3 cm respectively.
The Met Office has forecast light to moderate rainfall in the coastal districts for the next two days.
Heavy monsoon rains since the onset of southwest monsoon on June 4 have been disrupting normal life in the coastal and south interior districts of the southern state over the past few weeks.
The rains, however, have been filling up the reservoirs in Cauvery basin, bringing hope to the farmers, who have been reeling under drought conditions, of better agricultural outputs.
The Kabini reservoir in Mysuru district has been filled up to its maximum capacity and excess water has been released to neighbouring Tamil Nadu through Mettur dam.
The reservoirs of Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) and Tungabhadra have also received better water levels in many years owing to the monsoon, the Director of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), G.S. Srinivasa Reddy, told IANS earlier.
"If the monsoon continues in the same manner till the end of July, one can expect a better crop yield in the state," Reddy said.
The districts of Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara and Tumakuru have been facing a deficit in rainfall.