KANPUR: The rain gods have not been kind to the the denizens of the industrial city because the month of July, like previous month, has remained rain deficit. The city received just 79.9 mm of rains in the entire month of July, which is about 117 mm less than the average rainfall witnessed in the month of July.
This year the rainfall in July is the second least score recorded after July 2002, the month in which only 30 mm of rainfall was recorded. Even in June the rainfall was deficit and city recorded only 48.9mm which was much below the average rainfall. It is a matter of concern that such a situation is prevailing despite the fact that the monsoon season is in progress. The fact being that June and July are the months wherein more than 200 mm of rains is common. In the past one decade (between 2005 and 2014), the lowest rainfall recorded in the month of July was 186.4 mm. This had also happened in 2007 otherwise the rainfall data with CSA university shows that heavy rains had lashed the city and affected the routine life.
The met department of CSA university stated that despite dense clouds hovering over the city skies, it did nor rain due to increased pollution level which had prevented the air pressure to condense the clouds resulting in rains. The met expert also blamed the climate change to be a reason behind the low rainfall. He now hopes for a better rainfall in August but that too after August 15.
The prevailing rain deficit will once again affect the crops making farmers worried who had suffered crop loss due to heavy and untimley rains in the month of March this year. March, which is usually a dry month, had witnessed a whopping 170.8 mm of rains.
Talking to TOI, Rajveer Singh, technical officer, met department, CSA university, said that certainly climate change is the reason for the rain deficit. He cited the example when unexpectedly it rained upto 170 mm in March whereas in June and July, if put together, the total rainfall gauge is only 128.8 mm, which is much less than the March rainfall. He also said that the increased pollution level in the city is also a reason for scanty rainfall in the past two months.
Naushad Khan, associate professor in agronomy, department of CSA university, while speaking on rain deficit said that this situation can cause problem to small and marginal farmers who are in large number in comparison to wealthy farmers. "The farmers having irrigation facility from tubewells will be able to save their crop but the small time farmers who are dependant on rainfall, will definitely be at loss", said Khan while talking to TOI.
He added that farmers are advised to opt for integrated farming system in order to avoid losses. He advised the farmers to use the same farm for growing cash crops, vegetables and make use of phosphorous to have a good yield. He also blamed the climate change for erratic and uneven rains.
