Nalgonda district recorded heaviest rainfall this June in the past 15 years as the district is receiving copious rains for the past 10 days, according to the statistics obtained from the District Planning Office.
The average rainfall in district in June is 90.7 mm, but it received 172.6 mm in first 22 days of this month, recording an unprecedented 132 per cent excess rain.
Only in the year 2000 did the district had experience more rainfall with 211.6 mm in 30 days, recording 133.6 per cent excess rain.
Agriculture Department officials say that two heavy rain days would be enough in the next eight days to break the record of the year 2000. Compared to corresponding period of previous year, the district witnessed about 500 per cent increase in June rainfall. The district experienced just 36.5 mm rainfall in June last year, recording 60 per cent deficit. Only two June months in the past 15 years have recorded excess rainfall, apart from the year 2000. The year 2007 was the only one to record excess rain by 53.6 per cent. The rest of 13 June months experienced deficit rain in the past 15 years. During the five June months, the district witnessed over 50 per cent deficit rain that explains how rarely it receives normal rain.
A farmer from Kanagal, S. Lingaiah, said that they have never completed sowing operations in June for the past 15 years. As the sown seed failed to sprout due to lack of rains, Mr. Lingaiah said that they had to invest lot of money in sowing the seed twice or thrice on occasions. Thanks to the heavy rains this time, he said that ryots have almost completed sowing operations.
Meanwhile, agriculture officials are of the opinion that paddy and other crops under bore wells would also go up due to heavy rains. If it continues to rain at the same pace through out the season, officials are of the opinion that agricultural production would go up.
