While the coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll humankind, the sudden change in weather conditions leading to rainfall and high velocity winds in several parts of the country is adding to the woes, especially, of farmers.
Untimely rains and winds caused damage to 20-25 percent paddy, wheat, mustard and chickpea crops in several parts of the country besides affecting the harvesting of potato.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) prediction, the situation seems to be worrisome especially at coastal areas due to formation of low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. The IMD on Sunday maintained its watch for the first pre-monsoon low-pressure area over the South Andaman Sea around April 30 and its intensification during the subsequent two days. It may initially move north-northwest and later north-north-east along and off the Andaman & Nicobar Islands until May 3.
Meanwhile, the formation of a pre-monsoon trough from East to West and associated convergence of winds and moisture from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal along the plains in the North will sustain the fairly widespread to widespread rainfall over East and North-East India during next two days with peak activity over Odisha, Jharkhand, and plains of West Bengal. In a separate release, the IMD had said that isolated places over Agra, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharth Nagar, Gonda, Maharajganj, Jhansi, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Banda, Chitrakoot, Prayagraj, Sant Ravidas Nagar districts, and adjoining areas, are most likely to receive rains and experience thunderstorms.
According to Vinod Pandey of All India Kisan Mahasangthan, unseasonal rains and heavy winds have caused damage to rabi crops in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.