Monsoon arrives with a bang, above normal rains in many districts

Many parts of Rajasthan have witnessed heavy rains at the beginning of the monsoon season and several deaths have also been reported. According to the water resources department, in some areas, the rainfall has been 70% more than normal.

According to the department data, the state has received 92.10mm rainfall, as against the normal of 54.10mm, between June 1 and June 30. It is 70.2% above normal.

The state is now in the abnormal category with 21 districts receiving abnormally high rains, nine receiving excess rains and three receiving normal rains. The normal rainfall in the state is 530.08mm during the monsoon period between June 1 and September 30.

Last year, between June 1 and 30, the state had received 86.91mm rains against the normal rainfall of 54.10mm, with 16 districts in the abnormal normal category — six districts in the excess category, 10 in normal and a district in the deficit category.

The department stated that from Friday evening till Saturday 8.30am, eight stations across the state have recorded more than 50mm rains, while 358 stations have received less than 50mm rains.

The total water capacity of 831 dams across Rajasthan is 12,902 million cubic metre (MCuM), against which there is only 4,215.40 MCuM, which is 32.67% against the capacity. During the same period last year, the water in dams was 34.4%.

The state has 831 small and big dams of which 629 are lying empty, 199 dams are partially filled and three dams are full.

The districts that have received abnormal rains (60% or more than the normal rains) are Alwar, Banswara, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Churu, Dausa, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Karauli, Nagaur, Pratapgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Sikar and Udaipur. The districts in the excess category (20%-59% more than normal rains) are Ajmer, Barmer, Bhilwara, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Jalore, Kota, Pali and Tonk.

Districts that have received normal rains (19% to minus 19% than normal rains) are Baran, Rajsamand and Sirohi. So far there are no districts in deficit (minus 20% to minus 59%) or scanty (minus 60% are less) category.

According to the meteorological department, the southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan and has covered the entire state. Most of the places in east Rajasthan and many places in west Rajasthan will receive light to moderate rains.

This year, the monsoon has covered all of India 17 days earlier than usual, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. The last bastion of the monsoon, in west Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar, was breached on June 29 instead of the usual July 15.

The four-month monsoon season usually begins from June 1 and ends on September 30. The South West monsoon gives India 70% of its rains.

With PTI inputs