HYDERABAD: Is the rainfall deficiency in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana leading to a drought like situation as it was in 2009 when, the then united state experienced worst ever rainfall deficiency in the recent times? Couple it with the flood like situation prevailing in the neighbouring Odisha, officials at the Hyderabad Met centre prefer to blame it on the ‘luck’ factor that has taken the rains across central India from Odisha to Gujarat without leaving any for the two states.
The deficiency in rainfall till date has been up to 54 per cent in Telangana. In Rayalaseema, the deficiency has been recorded up to 29 per cent and Coastal Andhra Pradesh it is 36 per cent. This, despite the two states receiving as many as three low pressure systems and three depressions till date. The southwest monsoon had entered the state as expected on June 6 and covered two states by June 20.
The trend shows that the deficiency in rainfall in Telangana and coastal Andhra have declined after considerable rainfall in July but the deficiency in Rayalaseema seems to be only rising.
“We cannot blame the dry spell on El Nino or Indian Ocean Dipole, both of which have not satisfied the definition yet. Another reason could be the ongoing typhoon in north-western Pacific Ocean which pulls all moisture from Bay of Bengal to them”, said K Seetharam, scientist at the Hyderabad Met Centre.