Drought scare looms over 38% of Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal: The gloom of drought hovers over Madhya Pradesh as monsoon clouds play hard to get. At least 20 districts are 25% rain deficient though half the rainy season is over. In some districts the shortfall is 35-40%.

Unless monsoon gets into make-up mood, and soon, there is a cruel summer ahead for large parts of the state.

There have not been widespread showers for many days in several places and people are reeling under hot, humid weather. The districts in MP where rainfall deficit was more than 20% on Saturday morning are Balaghat, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Jabalpur, Katni, Mandla, Narsinghpur, Sagar, Tikamgarh, Alirajpur, Bhind, Dhar, Guna, Gwalior, Hoshangabad, Mandsaur, Sheopur and Shivpuri. They add up to over 38% of MP’s land area. Overall, the state is 13% rain deficient. MP had received 385.7mm rain till Saturday morning while the normal for this period is 443.9mm. Bhopal, which had the driest July in a decade, is still 13% above normal because of a wet June. Indore is barely 3% surplus. But large parts of MP are not this lucky.

The two other main cities of state -- Gwalior and Jabalpur -- are deficient by 37% and 35%.

Meteorological officials say 20% less or more rainfall is considered as ‘normal’. But monsoon has to get into make-up mood to fill the 20% gap.

Met officials of Bhopal circle said there are two months of monsoon left and there is every likelihood that it will be a ‘normal’ rainfall year. All hopes now rest on August as rainfall activity tapers off in September.