'State received normal rainfall this monsoon'

Allaying apprehension of below par rainfall across the country as sounded by the Met department, casting shadows on the peasants and the expected volume  of overall food production, Uttarakhand at least has received almost the normal volume of rainfall so far this monsoon season, boding well  for farming community in the state, in particular.

The Met office figures clearly indicate that the state has experienced overall rainfall measuring 678.9 mm against normal rainfall of 748.7 till August 10 this year. The data compiled by the Uttarakhand Meteorological Centre reveals that Uttarakhand has received lower side of normal rainfall by August 10 this year. 

The monsoon season being on, more rainfall, likely in the coming days, might cover the shortfall, the weather office said.

Uttarakhand Meteorological Centre director Anand Sharma said that Uttarakhand has received 678.9 mm of rainfall against the normal rainfall of 748.7mm (showing departure minus 9 per cent). A variation of minus 19 per cent to plus 19 per cent is a normal phenomenon while a shortfall ranging from minus 20 per cent to minus 59 per cent is called deficient, he added while talking to The Pioneer. 

Uttarakhand has received almost sufficient rainfall so far.Chamoli district, for instance, recorded the maximum 711 mm rainfall against normal rainfall of 520.4 mm which is 37 per cent more than the normal volume while Pithoragarh received the minimum rainfall of 623.8 mm against the normal rainfall of 1049.5, marking minus 41 per cent deficient till August 10 this year.

The data compiled by the Met office revealed that Almora district recorded 506.6 mm rainfall against normal rainfall of 532.5 mm (minus 5 per cent deficient). Dehradun district  on its part received 925.1 mm rainfall against normal rainfall of 1117.2 mm (minus 17) while the  figure  for Pauri is 573.6 mm against normal rainfall of 746.5.5 (minus 23 per cent deficient).

Tehri received 484.4 mm against normal rainfall of 650.8 mm (minus 26 per cent deficient), Haridwar 554.7 mm against normal rainfall of 569.2 mm (minus 3 per cent deficient), Nainital, 1081.1 mm against normal rainfall of 872.9 mm (plus 24 per cent), Pithoragarh 623.8 mm against normal rainfall of 1049.5 mm (minus 41 per cent deficient), Bageshwar 627 mm against normal rainfall of 532.5 mm (plus 18 per cent), Chamoli 711 mm against normal rainfall of 520.4 mm (plus 37 per cent), Champawat 844.5 mm against normal rainfall of 824.2 mm (plus 2 per cent), Rudraprayag 758.1 mm against normal rainfall of 1015.8 mm (minus 25 per cent deficient), Udham Singh Nagar 556.9 mm against normal rainfall of 664.2 mm (minus 16 per cent) and Uttarkashi 636.7 mm against normal rainfall of 667.4 mm (minus 5 per cent).

It should be mentioned here that Uttarakhand had received 897.6 mm of rainfall against the normal of 1229.2, showing shortfall of 27 percent, between June 1 and September 30, 2014. Statistics again revealed that last year, monsoon arrived late by two weeks while this year, it arrived around a week later than the expected time.