With the second crop (rabi) season still incomplete, weather seems to be playing truant with the farmers in south coastal Andhra Pradesh.
The region consisting of Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna registered a rainfall that is 20% less than normal during the period between June 1 and December 13.
The SW monsoon officially entered Andhra Pradesh on June 7 and withdrew from different districts of the State between October 17 and 25. The North-East monsoon touched the State on October 27 but it has not been very active.
The North-East (NE) monsoon registered a deficit rainfall of 38% in the State till date.
The State received a rainfall of just 177.5 mm from the NE monsoon as against the normal of 286.8 mm. Andhra Pradesh received 567.1 mm from the SW monsoon as against the normal of 556 mm.
Three coastal districts received less rainfall from the NE moonsoon -- Prakasam (28.5% less), East Godavari (22.6 % less) and Nellore 19.3% less. While all districts in the State received less than normal rainfall, the other ten districts have been put in the normal category as per the norms of the Met Department. As per the norms of the Meteorology Department there should be a minimum deviation of 20% (less or more) for change in classification.
West Godavari, which received a deficit of 18.3% and Krishna which received deficit rainfall of 17.9% have been categorised as normal.
Though only three districts are classified as deficit in the State, the cumulative rainfall deficit of the State is almost 40%.
Water level
Despite the deficit rainfall, the level of water in the major reservoirs in the State is slightly better when compared to the same date last year. T
he major reservoirs are holding 604.68 tmcft on December 13 compared to the 560.07 tmcft on the same date last year.
