Two years of extreme rainfall have left Karnataka's Kodagu struggling to stay afloat

Kodagu, the small hilly district in Karnataka known as the coffee capital of India, is no stranger to heavy showers. Its area of 4,102 sq km receives as much as 2,693 mm of average annual precipitation, compared with 1,248 mm in the southern state. But nothing could have prepared some half a million people living in the district for the extreme rainfall in a matter of days in August.

Monsoon arrived late this year in Karnataka. By the end of July, the rainfall was so low that authorities were bracing for a drought in many parts of the state, including Bengaluru, its capital city. But the situation changed drastically on August 3, and by the next morning, Kodagu had received heavy downpours, leading to landslides. By August 6, rainfall recorded at the three taluks or sub-districts – Madikeri, Virajpet and Somwarpet – was 95.10 mm, 77.92 mm and 57.89 mm, respectively.

By the morning of August 7, Kodagu had received 145.58 mm of rainfall. There was waterlogging in most parts of the district. Many roads were inundated overnight. The next day, Kakkabe village received an astounding 762 mm of rain in 24 hours.

In just nine days from August 1 to August 9, Kodagu received 935 mm...

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