The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Monsoon continues to elude State

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Sunday, Jul 13, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Monsoon continues to elude State

P. Venugopal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Things are turning from bad to worse for Kerala this monsoon, with the week that rolled past just now pushing the State deeper into the red in terms of rainfall.

The State received an area-weighted-average rainfall of only 1.07 cm during the week that ended on July 9, against a normal of 19.87 cm, according the latest weekly update of India Meteorological Department (IMD). The deficiency for the week is a staggering 95 per cent, making it the driest first week of July in recent history. With such a week succeeding the worst June since 1991, the rainfall deficiency in the State has slipped to 39 per cent for the season so far. The deficiency was 28 per cent at the time of the previous week’s update. Against a normal rainfall of 93.4 cm for the period, the State received only 58.2 cm rainfall from June 1 to July 9. Only the district of Kasaragod has managed to come close to the long-term average rainfall for the area. Even this district is 11 per cent behind the long-term average for the period. All the other 13 districts are deep in the red.

Idukki district, where the State’s major hydro-electric stations are located, is now 44 per cent deficient in rainfall. Wayanad is at the lowest rung of the ladder with 69 per cent rainfall deficiency.

And the deficiency is 68 per cent for Thiruvananthapuram district.

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