Deficit rainfall in Telangana! Really, Mr Chief Minister?
Telangana, which has witnessed less than normal rainfall only thrice in the last nine years, recorded rainfall that was 5.4 per cent more than the normal rainfall during 2023-2024
Hyderabad: A deficit rainfall, in technical terms of the weatherman, is when the rainfall recorded is at least 20 per cent to 59 per cent less than the normal rainfall. Telangana, which has witnessed less than normal rainfall only thrice in the last nine years, recorded rainfall that was 5.4 per cent more than the normal rainfall during 2023-2024. And that raises the question on why Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy claimed that “deficit rainfall” had triggered drought conditions in the State while throwing up his arms on the issue of supplying water to farmers.
On Wednesday, Revanth Reddy attributed the short supply of water for agriculture to “deficit rainfall” in the State, expressing the State government’s inability to supply water to crops and urging farmers to “understand the situation” as the State government had prioritised allocation of available water for drinking purposes during the impending summer.
However, according to meteorologists and data from various government departments, Telangana has experienced an average rainfall of 914.90 mm until Wednesday, surpassing the normal rainfall of 866.40 mm by 5.4 per cent. Thus, the State received more than normal rainfall which is calculated based on the average rainfall occurred over a long period of 30-35 years.
The actual rainfall occurred in a year is compared with normal rainfall to categorise it as large excess (60 per cent and above), excess (20 per cent to 59 per cent), normal (19 per cent to -19 per cent), deficit (-20 per cent to -59 per cent) and large deficit (-60 per cent to -99 per cent).
During the current financial year of 2023-24, 25 of 33 districts witnessed normal rainfall. While six districts i.e. Nirmal, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Medak, Siddipet and Jayashankar Bhupalpally received excess rainfall, only two districts – Nagarkurnool and Jogulamba Gadwal – recorded deficit rainfall of -26.1 percent and -28.4 percent.
“Compared to the last two years, there is a decline in rainfall in the State. However, it is not deficit and is above normal rainfall, especially when compared to the rest of the country,” an official with the Telangana State Development Planning Society, a State government organisation under the Telangana State Planning Board, said.
Over the last eight years, Telangana registered an excess rainfall of 1,225.4 mm in 2022-23, 1,138.5 mm in 2021-22 and 1,259.7 mm in 2020-21, preceded by normal rainfall of 986.8 mm in 2019-20, 722.6 mm in 2018-19, 814.4 mm in 2017-18 and 996.70 mm in 2016-17. When compared with the current fiscal, the years 2017-18 and 2018-19 received lesser rainfall. It may be noted that despite deviations in rainfall, the State did not face such severe water crisis in the last eight years due to effective water management and timely contingency plans initiated by the State government.
Effective water management. Timely contingency plans. Two aspects that seem to be missing from the current dispensation’s Standard Operating Procedure, and what could have actually led to the drought. Not deficit rainfall.
