Rain in city,but scarce in catchment areas

Even as the city has recorded 10 mm rainfall,the catchment areas have recorded very less rainfall. Irrigation officials said till Wednesday morning,the catchment areas recorded only 12 mm rainfall.

Even as the city has recorded 10 mm rainfall,the catchment areas have recorded very less rainfall. Irrigation officials said till Wednesday morning,the catchment areas recorded only 12 mm rainfall. Superintending engineer,Pune irrigation circle,Avinash Surve,said there should be atleast 600 mm rainfall specifically in the catchment areas for the water situation to improve.

The situation is very bad as of now. Last year on July 13,the dams had only 1.2 TMC water registering only 4.4 per cent of filled capacity which was similar to the present situation. However,with continous rainfall activity in the catchment areas,the condition then improved from 4.4 per cent to 50 per cent, he said. With not much rainfall after a week,the irrigation officials are still hoping the condition will improve as it did last year. There is still a week to go and the MeT department has forecast rainfall activity for the city. We are hoping there are enough rainfall in the catchment areas,said Surve.

Meanwhile,the MeT department has forecast rainfall activity in the next 48 hours. Director (weather central), IMD,Pune,Medha Khole,said the monsoon winds are strengthning in the Arabian Sea and the off shore trough from south Gujarat to Kerala coast will see a gradual increase in rainfall activity in the city and the state.

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The MeT officials are also positive there will be increased rainfall activity if a low pressure is created in the Bay of Bengal and this would mean more rain for the country which is likely to form by July 24. Once that is formed we can expect continous rainfall,but as of now there are no indications,said Khole.

Meanwhile,the present situation has generated more rainfall activity in the city as well as in the state especially in the Konkan region. We have forecast widespread rainfall and heavy to very heavy rainfall in these regions,said Khole. Interestingly,the MeT department has stated the city rainfall has already crossed the average rainfall. We have recorded 328 mm rainfall for June and July and the normal mean average for these months is 253 mm rainfall which clearly indicates that we have had 30 percent more rainfall in the city. However,catchment areas have recorded poor rainfall,said Khole.

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