Below normal rain in region
By Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 1 — The rain gods have been less charitable to the people and farmers of the north-western region in this monsoon season, resulting in below normal rain in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh.

Over a four-month monsoon season, that ended yesterday, the states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh received 10 per cent, 25 per cent and 7 per cent less rain, respectively, than what is the usual average. Rain has also been 53 per cent less than normal in Delhi while Chandigarh was behind by 16 per cent of its normal share. The local met office is yet to assign a clear-cut reason for this phenomenon that has occurred right after the previous season's excess rain.

Interestingly, in last year's monsoon season, rainfall was up by25 per cent in Punjab and 42 per cent in Haryana. Rainfall in Delhi and Chandigarh is calculated and clubbed with the data of Haryana, the meteorological authorities said. This is the first time that rain has been less than normal in Punjab and Haryana.

On the other hand, in Himachal this was the fourth year in succession that rainfall has been deficient. The last time the hill state recorded normal or more than normal rain was in 1995 when it was 18 per cent above normal.

This season the worst-hit have been the districts of Kurukshetra, Karnal , Jind, Mahendragarh, Rohtak and Hisar of Haryana. Most of them form part of the high-quality rice-growing and exporting belt in the state, the economy of which is largely agriculture based. Almost all districts in the state have been deficient in rain by 50 per cent. The overall figure is better slightly as Ambala and Rewari received 50 per cent and 9 per cent rain more than their normal average share.

In Punjab, the districts of Bathinda, Sangrur and Amritsar were 53 per cent, 40 per cent and 22 per cent, had less than the average rainfall. In districts like Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Faridkot and Ferozpore the deficiency is between 6 per cent and 10 per cent of the average. On the other hand, Ropar has had 22 per cent more rain than its average.

Chamba was 49 per cent behind its normal share of rain and was the worst-hit in Himachal. All districts of the state, particularly , Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Una have been having less rain. Meanwhile Lahual Spiti and Mandi have had excess rainfall.

The local weather office clarified that less rain in the region did not mean a delayed winter. Giving an example , an official said, last year's excess rain did not result in an early winter.

Data shows that in the first two months of the monsoon season, commencing on June 1, rain had been in excess in Chandigarh and Punjab, and slightly below average in Haryana.

Why the rainfall was less normal will be analysed by weather pundits in Delhi.

Less rainfall notwithstanding, reservoirs at Bhakra Dam and Pong Dam that meet irrigation and power needs of large parts of North India are almost full. The level at both reservoirs is comfortable, a highly placed source said.

This morning's figure showed that the massive 140 sq km reservoir of Bhakra Dam was full, up to 1669.94 elevation feet. Though this is almost 13 feet less than last year at this time, sources in the Bhakra-Beas Management Board said last year's level was a windfall.

In the years before last year, water levels in the reservoir have been below than what they were today, sources said. Besides this almost each year three feet to four feet of level increased in the month of October when a last surge of rain hits the catchment areas. The level in the Pong reservoir is at 1385 elevation feet — almost on a par with last year's level.