Rainfall deficit in Bengal worries farmers
Kolkata: Bengal has received less amount of rain in June compared to previous years due to the late coming of the monsoon and an irregularity in the rainfall, feel the weather experts.
The situation may not improve in the current month as there may be a rain deficit in the state. The rain deficit is a major cause of concern the farmers and it may affect the crops in the districts.
Various farmers from districts such as East Burdwan, Nadia, Murshidabad and North 24-Parganas have already complained about damage of crops due to high-level of humidity. The paddy cultivation has also been affected due to scarcity of rainfall. The rain deficit in the last month has hit the farmers hard and the prediction of rainfall shortage in July casts a spell of doubt as to what will happen to their crops if the situation continues. According to experts, the monsoon deficit in South Bengal currently stands at 48 per cent while the North Bengal districts have received heavy rainfall ever since the south-western monsoon made incursion into the region.
According to the Regional Meteorological Department, the low pressure zone over the Bay of Bengal is bringing moisture-laden clouds over the Gangetic West Bengal and it always creates an atmosphere conducive to monsoon. The rainfall has however been insufficient so far despite the monsoon officially setting in earlier.
All the South Bengal districts have received light to moderate rainfall in the past two days due to a low pressure trough over Bay of Bengal.
The low pressure trough which slightly gained strength started moving towards the Odisha as a result of which intensity of rainfall will be reduced in the city and other South Bengal districts from Tuesday. The city today witnessed a normal minimum temperature after a gap. It stood at 26.2 degree Celsius, the maximum temperature was recorded at 35 degree, two notches higher than the normal. The average maximum and minimum temperature is expected to remain the same for the coming week.
The relative maximum humidity recorded at 95 per cent on Monday while minimum humidity was 63 per cent.
"There may be light rainfall in some parts of South Bengal. The city's sky may remain cloudy. There is however no possibility for the mercury rising up due to the cloudy weather. There may be some scattered rainfall. Western districts may witness a marginal rise in the rainfall compared to other districts as the low pressure moves towards Odisha," IMD Kolkata's deputy director Sanjib Bandyopadhyay said.
