Met Dept’s gloomy forecast leaves farmers worried

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 2

The monsoon deficit in Himachal has increased to 24 per cent due to less rain in August and farmers are worried as the local MeT Department has predicted scanty or no rain for one week.

The rain was near normal in June and July but the monsoon started weakening after mid-August and the cumulative average rainfall in the state was 540 mm against the normal average 714.3 mm, a deficit of 24 per cent.

Barring Una and Shimla districts, which received 45 per cent and 8 per cent excess rain, all other districts received less rain but the deficit in Lahaul and Spiti was highest at 80 per cent, followed by Kinnaur 58 per cent, Chamba 52 per cent, Sirmaur 37 per cent and Solan 16 per cent.

However, the deficit was negligible by 3 per cent in Kullu, 4 per cent in Kangra, 10 per cent in Hamirpur, 12 per cent in Bilaspur and 13 per cent in Mandi district.

The deficit will not affect the kharif crop as there is sufficient moisture in the soil but it could affect the yield if the dry spell continues, said a senior official of the Agriculture Department. Last year also, the monsoon deficit was 38 per cent but the Kharif target was exceeded, he added.

However, the recess in monsoon has brought cheers to apple growers in higher hills and plucking of apples has picked up. The dry weather has also provided relief to the Public Works Department and the repair and maintenance of roads has picked up, reducing the marketing woes.