Kadapa and Ongole towns, and the upland areas of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh are likely to face water scarcity in the forthcoming summer, if the performance of the north-east monsoon in 2018 is any indication.
The dismal groundwater position in the above mentioned places, compared to other regions of the State, also indicates an impending crisis in summer, says P.V. Rama Rao, a former Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), who made an analysis of the north-east and its preceding south-west monsoon, based on the data from the IMD and Groundwater Department of AP.
During the north-east monsoon, 2018, three cyclonic storms and one well-marked low pressure area and two to three ill-defined low pressure systems influenced the rainfall distribution in AP and Telangana.
These weather systems, however, failed to activate north-east monsoon current and failed to bring rainfall amounts even near to the long period average values. Mainly dry weather prevailed over the States in the north-east monsoon season, excluding the periods in which the low pressure systems included the rainfall distribution.
In 2018, both south-west and north-east monsoons failed causing significant rainfall deficit of about (-) 50 % or more during the wet period (June to December) in Kadapa, Prakasam and the upland areas of Nellore. In other districts of AP and Telangana in the wet period, rainfall deficits were below 50 % on the positive side.
The performance of the north-east monsoon in 2018 (October to December) was bad with a large deficit rainfall of (-) 65 % in Telangana, (-) 62 % in Rayalaseema and with significant deficit of (-) 54 % in coastal AP.
However, the performance during the south-west monsoon season (June to September) was normal in coastal AP and Telangana and it was bad with significant rainfall deficit of (-) 37 % in Rayalaseema.
The rainfall distribution during the wet period was normal in Telangana and near normal in coastal AP but there was significant rainfall deficit of (-) 46 % in Rayalaseema sub-division.
Wet period
During the wet period, Kadapa and Prakasam districts recorded significant rainfall deficits of (-) 60 % or more and in coastal areas, it varied between (-) 40 % and (-) 50 %. Other districts of coastal AP recorded normal rainfall and in other districts of Rayalaseema, the deficit rainfall varied between (-) 40 and (-) 46 %.
Though Nellore and Nandyal towns recorded annual deficit of (-) 58 % in 2018, they are in the safe zone as their groundwater reserves are available at 4.99 m (16ft) and 10.97 m (36 ft) respectively on January 11, 2019.
