The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rainfall deficit in many districts

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Monday, Sep 27, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rainfall deficit in many districts

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 26. The number of rainy days so far in the State since the onset of the South-West monsoon is only 42.

The rainfall deficit in the State prior to September 24 was 23 per cent. While Rayalaseema suffered the maximum shortfall of 33 per cent, it was followed by Telangana (31 per cent). Coastal Andhra was relatively comfortable with only 7 per cent deficit.

According to the information given to the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, by officials monitoring the seasonal conditions, the rainfall during the month of June was 17 per cent of its normal rate (108 mm), while it was 30 per cent in July against 189 mm, 30 per cent in August (184 mm) and 23 per cent so far in September (143 mm).

Reservoir inflows

While no district reported excess rainfall till now, the deficit rainfall was reported in Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Cuddapah, Anantapur, Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Medak, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Nalgonda districts. The realisation in case of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Khammam was normal. For the first time in recent times, Sriramsagar project received no inflows forcing farmers to leave nearly five lakh acres fallow. However, it was better in Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar when compared to last year and this was due to rain in Maharashtra and Karnataka and not in the State. All other reservoirs, including Somasila and Kandaleru, remained almost empty.

Crop position

With regard to crops, paddy, which would have been sown on 24.9 lakh hectares by now, could be taken up only on 13.73 lakh ha (only 55 per cent). Foodgrain crops, which normal area is 44.16 lakh ha by this time, covered 30.6 lakh ha only (69 per cent).

The details suggest that drinking water shortage cropped up in 473 habitations forcing officials to press tankers into service. A majority of them are in Karimnagar, Krishna, Chittoor, Prakasam, Nellore, Mahabubnagar and Cuddapah. Eighty-three out of the 118 municipalities in the State are also having the same problem, the worst cases being Warangal, Ongole, Gudur and Chittoor. A sum of Rs. 10 crores has been released to solve the problem.

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