Cyclonic storm Nanauk over Arabian Sea is said have weakened, but not without damage.
The south west monsoon that usually enters the State in June first week remained elusive even after a fortnight thanks to the cyclonic storm that reportedly slowed down the advance of the monsoon winds.
Farmers with access to groundwater commenced raising seed beds in small pockets, but their anxiety levels seem to be growing with every passing day.
A majority of farmers in the Krishna river delta depend on either Nagarjunasagar or rainfall for raising nurseries for the kharif season. Kisan Services Association district general secretary P. S. R. Das said the delay in the onset of the monsoon in the district had rare precedents.
Though a rainfall of 14.2 mm was recorded in Tiruvuru of Krishna district on Thursday there was a 45 per cent deficit in the day’s rainfall in the district (normal rainfall 3.2 mm, actual 1.8 mm).
The season’s rainfall deficit (June 1 to date) is 74 per cent (normal rainfall 64.1 mm, actual 16.7 mm). Rainfall in the other three districts of Krishna delta is also much lower than normal.
The seasonal rainfall deficit in Guntur district is 82 per cent (normal 54.3 mm, actual 10 mm), deficit of 75 per cent (normal 41.9 per cent, actual 10.4 per cent) in Prakasam district and West Godavari district deficit is the highest at 87 per cent (normal 76.5 mm, actual 10.1 mm).
Rainfall deficit of the Coastal Andhra districts is 67 per cent (normal 61.9 mm, actual 20.7 mm). Unexpectedly, the rainfall scenario in Rayalaseema is surplus this year by 12 per cent (normal 48.4 mm, actual 54.2 mm).
GroundwaterDeputy Director of Groundwater A. Varaprasad said delta farmers with lands located west of Pamarru could raise seed beds with groundwater. Those farmers with their lands located between the Pamarru-Avanigadda Road could also utilise groundwater.
