3 days of rains ward off drought fears

“We expect good rains in in Kutch and Saurashtra in the next two days. If it happens,scarcity will end in many more talukas,” he said.

On August 7,the state government had declared 152 talukas in 22 out of 26 districts scarcity-hit,which included all the talukas in 14 districts. The worst-hit was the Saurashtra-Kutch region,which still remains a problem. While Saurashtra has received scattered rains,Kutch has received none so far.

Meanwhile,intermittent showers over the state’s eastern half over the weekend brought down the rain deficit there by more than 10 per cent,but meteorologists said rainfall would start decreasing by Wednesday onward.

Dahod district received about 190 mm of rain between Sunday noon and Monday,prompting the Meteorological Centre in Ahmedabad categorising the district as having received normal rainfall this season.

“The good rainfall over the past three days have more or less pulled the eastern half of the state,which we call the Gujarat meteorological subdivision,out of its rainfall deficiency. Saurashtra and Kutch remain a problem,but recent rains should compensate for drinking water and fodder growth requirements,although it may not have been able to save agriculture,” said Jayanta Sarkar,director of the Meteorological Centre in Ahmedabad.

Good rainfall over Madhya Pradesh has also been a boon for Gujarat,Sarkar added,because rivers with catchment areas in the neighbouring state such as Narmada and Tapi now have strong levels of water.

Between Sunday and Monday,Ahmedabad city received more than 120 millimeters (mm) of rainfall while Vadodara received more than 90 mm. Vallabh Vidyanagar received almost 150 mm in the same period,while Deesa received 53 mm.

The hardest rain of 220 mm fell over Halol in Panchmahals. Jetpur Pavi in Vadodara taluka also received 170 mm of rainfall.

While a low-pressure system that last week moved west after forming over the Bay of Bengal currently hangs over north-west Madhya Pradesh and adjoining east Rajasthan,causing rainfall in Gujarat’s eastern half,the lack of additional moisture is causing the system to die down,and meteorologists predict it will stop delivering rain by Wednesday or soon after.