Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Sep 19: Almost all the rivers and rivulets in the twin-districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, which were in spate a few weeks back, have been drying up fast. This has been true for rivers like Netravati, Kumaradhara, Payasvini and Swarna. Water is getting evaporated and sucked down the cracks. This phenomenon has worried environments and general public alike.

Gundia rivulet and Kumaradhara had witnessed unprecedented floods a few days back, and had turned Subrahmanya and surrounding places into a virtual island. But the water levels have since dipped so low that locals say they have never seen these water bodies getting so much drained. River Swarna, on which water supply system of Udupi depends, also is drying. Rocks can be seen protruding out of water of Swarna at Puthige and in River Seetha, which used to be full of water till February, has already exposing its rocky bed. It has become impossible to believe the sudden transformation of the rivers which till a few days back were swelling and threatening people living in the vicinity.

As rainfall this time has been more than the previous year, everyone had thought that there will not be any water woes during the next summer. Many had prayed for the rain fury to stop as they felt that the deluge would wash away villages, cities and towns. But within a matter of three weeks, the situation has changed drastically, and flow of water in rivers and rivulets has almost stopped. Water level in even the wells has been going down and down and reached a level which was normally witnessed during January and February. River Payasvini which had caused so much damage and devastation at Jodupala near Sampaje too has completely gone down.

When the rainfall had turned torrential, water had begun to spring even from the top of mountains. Water also had sprung out of cracks which suddenly appeared on the surface of hills and hillocks. The drying of water has given rise to the notion that some changes which might have happened deep within the earth would have caused it or water might have percolated down the cracks. Only a thorough study can reveal the truth.

A report of the department has confirmed that underground water table in the coastal districts had fallen. In Sullia, water level has witnessed a slump of 2.45 metres as against 1.96 metres last month. Levels measured at various places have revealed the same phenomenon. In Kerala, where floods took away lives and inflicted huge losses, water table has gone down steeply. The state government there is undertaking scientific study about it, and chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, has instructed science, technology and environment ministries to undertake study and come out with report.

Geologist from Udupi, Udaya Shankar, feels that because of drying of earth's inner surface, water level would have gone down, creating a huge gap. Therefore, he feels that even if it rains heavily now, water table cannot be enriched now. Prof S G Mayya of NITK feels that western ghat, which has red soil, easily absorbs water. With development works like Yettinahole project and Shiradi road development, hills and other areas have been dug up or cut off, trees and plants are cut down, and protective walls are not built in places where hillocks have been dug. As such, mud gets washed away in large quantities, resulting in less water getting absorbed by earth.

A farmer from Kalmadka, Sullia, Sureshchandra, confesses that water flow in the canal adjacent to his field has stopped, providing him a nightmarish look unlike in the past. He said that after witnessing flood a few days back, it is difficult to believe that River Netravati is also at such a low level. He wonders where all that water went.