50% excess rainfall in Sept, IMD dubs monsoon 'farmer-friendly'

Visakhapatnam: A favourable southwest monsoon this year has brought cheer to farmers in Andhra Pradesh with officials from the India Meteorological Department ( IMD ) and agriculture department marking this monsoon as a ‘farmer friendly’ one.

Rainfall in excess of nearly 50 per cent in September helped Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Telangana register above normal rainfall for the southwest monsoon period from June to September.

Last month, Andhra Pradesh received 229.1 mm of rainfall against a normal of 152.5, an excess of 50 per cent.

Overall, Andhra Pradesh received rainfall 10 per cent above the normal this season, while the corresponding percentage in Telangana was six per cent above the normal. Average rainfall recorded for the season in Andhra Pradesh was 565.2 mm against the normal of 514.4 mm.

M Asha Devi, joint director of the agriculture department, Vizianagaram district, said that most mandals in the district were identified as drought-hit last year. “But this year, there has been no drought-like situation. The district received above average rainfall,” she said.

According to the Andhra Pradesh State Development Planning Society (APSDPS), Vizianagaram district received 853.9 mm of rainfall against a normal of 845.9 mm from June 1 to Oct 20.

All 13 districts in the state received above average rainfall, with Visakhapatnam district recording 906.6 mm of rainfall against the normal of 890 mm.

Speaking to TOI, IMD director YK Reddy said that the southwest monsoon this year was a boon to the farming community. “Though there has been no major impact of the northeast monsoon on Telangana and north Andhra, south-coastal Andhra districts like Nellore, Prakasam and Chittoor, which are close to Tamil Nadu will get nearly 40 per cent of their annual rainfall in the northeast monsoon period,” YK Reddy said.

The southwest monsoon began its retreat from the two Telugu-speaking states from October 16, along with the simultaneous onset of the northeast monsoon.

Current rainfall in the two states is the result on an upper air trough passing over the region. Under its influence, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected over the next five days. Officials from the Cyclone Warning Centre (CWC), Visakhapatnam said that the city heavy rainfall in the city will last till the early hours of Sunday.