Bhubaneswar: With heavy rain during September, the state has received an average cumulative rainfall of 9.9 per cent from June 1 to September 30.
According to a report prepared by the office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), the cumulative rainfall deficit in state stood at 31.5 per cent and 9 per cent in June and July respectively. However, the surplus rose to 24.5 per cent in August and 53.7 per cent in September.
Malkanagiri district received the highest rainfall of 1888.6 mm (31.9% surplus) while Gajapati district received the lowest rainfall of 945.8 mm (2.6% surplus).
As many as 10 districts—Koraput, Kalahandi, Jharsuguda, Puri, Malkangiri, Bolangir, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Sonepur and Cuttack – received surplus rainfall during the period.
Similarly, 19 other districts which have received normal rainfall during the same period are Bargarh, Khurda, Nayagarh, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Jagatsinghpur, Gajapati, Jajpur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal, Nuapada, Boudh, Balasore, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj and Angul.
Deogarh district received deficit rainfall between 19 per cent and 39 per cent during the four months.
Going by block-wise rainfall data, 103 blocks have received surplus rainfall, 169 blocks received normal rainfall and 40 have received deficit rainfall. Only two blocks received severe deficit rainfall (39% to 59% cumulatively) during these four months. The two blocks are: Champua (41.6%) and Jhumpura (43.9%) in Keonjhar district.
The rainfall remained quite inadequate in most parts of the state till first three and half weeks of July and delayed agricultural activities. Good bout of rain was received towards the end of July and the trend continued in August and September too, the report added.
Torrential rains caused flooding and severe waterlogging in many southern and western districts of Odisha during three spells July 27 to August 5, August 6 to August 11 and August 12 to August 16.
A moderate flood was experienced in River Mahanadi in the last spell. Bolangir town received a record amount of 555 mm rain in a single day August 13, which created an unprecedented flood situation in the western Odisha town, it said.
The delayed south-west monsoon touched Odisha June 21 and covered 16 coastal districts and parts of six other districts. The entire Odisha was covered by June 22. Normally, the monsoon hits Odisha in the second week of June.
