The ‘tech city’ Bengaluru continues to grapple with scanty rains, without the likelihood of a decent downpour, anytime soon. It has not rained for over two months now, not even a drop, for the sake of it. The last it rained was when light showers sprayed the city in the first week of January. Total, amiss thereafter, amidst rising temperatures and depleting water reserves. There are hopes, albeit dough and dim, for some showers likely after mid-week, till the weekend. However, weighty rains have yet to arrive, even over the horizon. The wait is getting anxiously longer to address the woes of the common man. Bengaluru is witnessing an unprecedented water crisis, more so, for potable water. The main source of water for the city remains the underground ( borewell) water and Kaveri reservoirs. Both, are at the bottom low now. Lakes, a very effective and capable source of water have since been reclaimed and the network is nearly decimated.
Bengaluru, as such, does not figure in the list of rainiest locations. Irrespective of the season, the city has very few occasions, to count for heavy downpours. January and February are the least rainy months, which do not promise any substantial rains, even if needed. The monthly normal is just 1.9mm and 5.9mm, respectively. March is supposed to make a humble beginning, with few decent showers, at least on a few days. After all, the monthly normal is 18.5mm, a fairly reasonable and satiating figure for the catchment areas. Three-digit monthly rainfall arrives only from May onwards and runs through the southwest monsoon and the start of post-monsoon. The rainiest month is September with a total of 213mm of rainfall. So, statistically also, there is still a reasonable time for the drenching rains to soak the city and ease out the difficult times.
Pre-monsoon Peninsular India trough, a semi-permanent feature in March, runs through the interior parts of the state of Karnataka. The oscillation of this trough is a built-in feature and invariably sprinkles sporadic showers, at least on a few occasions. The well-known trough is appearing shortly, extending from Vidarbha to down south Tamil Nadu, across the state. However, it seems to be more inclined to stay west of its normal position and that too with minimal trigger. The proximity of the trough and its east-west shift may bring some clouds, with an outside chance of rain and drizzle, albeit for a short duration. If so, the city may break the jinx of a completely dry spell very soon. No hard promise, but fleeting showers can be expected between the 21st and 23rd of March, across parts of the city and suburbs. Fingers crossed for a wishful event.
