Warning: Rains could cause flooding in rivers in south-western states
As the meteorological department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Konkan areas and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Karnataka and some places in Kerala from June 7–12, the ministry of water resources has said there is likelihood of rise in water levels in various river basins.
The government issued warnings about a possible rapid rise of water levels of rivers in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala due to the rains.
As the meteorological department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Konkan areas and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Karnataka and some places in Kerala from June 7–12, the ministry of water resources has said there is likelihood of rise in water levels in various river basins.
A statement by the ministry also warned of the possibility of inundation in some of the heavy rainfall-affected urban areas of Mumbai.
West flowing rivers are the most likely to rise. Areas between Tapi and Tadri rivers, those near Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery and their tributaries near the west coast as well as west flowing rivers between Tadri and Kanyakumari are likely to be affected.
Experts have also warned that activities along the river beds in these areas should be controlled as the “sudden water increase can drown men and materials”.
The statement said that Damanganga river and its tributaries are expected to rise in Nasik district of Maharashtra, Valsad district of Gujarat and Daman district of Daman and Diu.
Godavari river is likely to rise in its upstream reaches in Nasik, Ahmednagar and Aurangabad districts in Maharashtra.
Krishna river and its tributaries are likely to rise in upstream districts of Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Pune, Sholapur in Maharashtra as well as in Bagalkote, Vijayapura and Kalaburagi districts on Krishna and in Chikmagaluru, Shivamogga and Bellari districts on Tungabhadra river in Karnataka.
The Cauvery and its tributaries in upstream reaches in Kodagu, Chikmagaluru, Hassan and Mysuru districts of Karnataka and Wynad district of Kerala are likely to rise in association with the forecasted rainfall.
Experts, however, believe that most of the water will flow into dams and reservoirs, whose basins have sufficient storage, thereby lowering the chances of floods.
Water levels in India’s major reservoirs were 10% lower than normal. A recent study showed that reservoirs were 50% deficient in Himachal Pradesh.
The predicted rainfall is likely to help fill the reservoirs.