BHUBANESWAR: The deficit situation prevailing in 12 districts of the state due to below-normal rainfall in June and July is likely to improve as the IMD on Wednesday predicted more showers in the next one week.
Met officials said the state received 489.5 mm rainfall in the last two months between June 1 and July 31, around 11 per cent less than the normal of 550.7 mm. In July, the state recorded 335.9 mm rainfall, a departure of around 2 per cent from the cumulative normal value of 341.4 mm for the month.
Flood-hit Malkangiri, that recorded 1,035.8 mm rain between June 1 and July 31, is the only district to have witnessed large excess rainfall. Koraput, Nuapada and Boudh are the other three districts where rainfall has been above normal.
Rainfall has been normal in 14 districts including Angul, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh, Khurda, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Gajapati, Balangir, Sonepur, Bargarh and Nabarangpur. However, 12 other districts are reeling under deficit rainfall.
The deficient is largely in the range of -59 to -20 per cent. Bhadrak, Balasore and Sundargarh have recorded a departure of over 44 per cent than the normal rainfall. Jharsuguda has a departure of 43 per cent than the normal. Mayurbhanj, Puri, Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Jajpur and Kendrapara have also recorded below-normal rainfall.
Met officials said rainfall in the last 15 days has helped improve the situation to some extent. The deficit situation may further improve due to heavy rains in next one week. In the last 24 hours, widespread rain was recorded in the state with Rasgovindpur block in Mayurbhanj recording 58.4 mm showers. Bhubaneswar also received 29 mm rainfall during the period.
The officials further said light to moderate rainfall will continue to occur in parts of the state till August 6.
Heavy rainfall alert has also been issued for 22 districts.