ANANTAPUR: The drought-prone Anantapur district, which for the past couple of years has been witnessing a few good spells of rain, once again received scanty rains. What is more interesting is that the rainfall received during this South West monsoon in the districts is the lowest ever in the last 100 years in the month of August.
Usually, if there is scarce rainfall during June and July, it is somewhat compensated by heavy rains in August and September. However, this year, it was not to be the case. Even after the end of the first fortnight of September, there is no sign of a good spell of heavy rains.
August is the month, that is most important for the rainfed crops in the district and this August, the district received just 13.7 mm of rainfall against 83.8 mm of normal rainfall. What little rains were received, were limited to 10 mandals of the undivided Anantapur district.
From the commencement of the water year to date, the district was supposed to receive 210 mm but has received only 135.1 mm, which is to say 75 per cent deficit rains. Out of 63 mandals in the undivided district, 50 are now facing drought-like conditions.
According to officials, in the last 63 years, there were five worst rain deficit years in the district, which receives maximum rains during the southwest monsoon. Normally, the district has to receive 512 mm rain in a water year (June 1 to May 31) and of it, 319 mm is received during four months of southwest monsoon. As per the data available from 1965 to till date, the highest deficit rainfall during southwest monsoon was in 1994-95.