Bhubaneswar: As August recorded 18 per cent deficit rainfall in Odisha, at least four districts appear to be heading towards a drought-like situation, even though the IMD Friday forecast light to moderate rainfall in Odisha within a couple of days.
The IMD said that the rainfall activity in Odisha is likely to increase with the likely formation of a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal around September 3 and it may intensify into a low-pressure area during the subsequent 48 hours.
However, experts in the agriculture department fear that the situation in the districts of Nabarangpur, Kendrapara, Kalahandi and Ganjam may not improve much as they recorded minus 42 per cent, minus 38 per cent, minus 37 per cent and minus 35 per cent deficit rainfall respectively.
The state has from June 1 to September 1 recorded minus 15 per cent deficit rainfall, IMD sources said adding that of the 30 districts in the state, 18 received normal rainfall while 12 others recorded deficit precipitations.
“Odisha has received the lowest rainfall in August this time in the last 122 years. The state reported 299.9 mm rainfall during the month against the average of 363.8 mm,” an official at the Regional Metrological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said.
Weather scientist US Dash said of the total rainfall in August, 219.6 mm was recorded in seven days of the month. Most of the rainfall activity occurred between August 1 and 3 and on 18, 19, 24 and 25.
The districts which have received deficit rainfall were: Nabarangpur, Kendrapara, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur and Balasore.
“We do not expect the September rainfall could help improve the rainfall deficit situation in at least four districts,” said an agriculture department expert adding that the government has been preparing a contingency plan to overcome the crisis.
As the southwest monsoon remained subdued during most of August, the state also witnessed hot and humid conditions.
Odisha has received 784.9 mm rainfall between June 1 and September 1, which is around 15 per cent less than its average during the period.
Meanwhile, The IMD on Friday said that under the influence of the low-pressure area, light to moderate fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall activity is likely over Odisha from September 2-5.
Noting that Odisha has been witnessing a weak monsoon, leading to a rise in the humidity level, the MeT office said that the situation would continue for another 48 hours.
“Due to subdued monsoon, the day temperature in coastal Odisha was recorded at 3 to 4 degrees above normal with humidity at 60%,” the local weather office said.
It forecast thunderstorms with lightning at one or two places in Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Balangir, Sonepur, Malkangiri, Koraput, Kandhamal, Boudh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada with light to moderate rain at a few places over next 12 hours.
The IMD also forecast a similar warning for the next two days.
PTI