Northeast rainfall deficit unlikely to recover as monsoon enters withdrawal phase: IMD
Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have received very less rainfall, while the other states of the region comparatively received a little more.
A representational picture of people walking in the rain. (Photo:X)
Guwahati, Sept 21: With the monsoon in the withdrawal phase, there is no chance of making up the rainfall shortfall in the Northeast, Director General of Meteorology of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Dr Mrutunjoy Mohapatra has said.
He also revealed that new advanced radars are being put in place in the region for providing better rainfall warning.
In an interview with The Assam Tribune, Mohapatra said that India had a good monsoon this year and this is a typical characteristic of low rainfall in the Northeast.
He said that whenever the western part of the country has a good monsoon, the Northeast receives less rainfall. He said that Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have received very less rainfall, while the other states of the region comparatively received a little more.
Though there are chances of rainfall in the Northeast from September 22, the deficit will not be made up.
Mohapatra revealed that this time, northern India and west India including Rajasthan received very good monsoon, while the eastern part of the country including parts of West Bengal received low rainfall.
He said that as many as 17 low pressure areas developed in the Bay of Bengal, but instead of proceeding towards Bangladesh, they moved towards the west. Normally, whenever low pressure areas develop in the Bay of Bengal, they move towards Bangladesh and the Northeast receives good rainfall. But this time, it was the opposite.
The IMD official further informed that the process of setting up 10 advanced radars in the Northeast has started and tenders have been floated for the same. Once the radars are installed, weather prediction will become more accurate. Short-term prediction will also improve considerably, he added.
To a question on frequent cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand this year, Mohapatra said that those states had good monsoon and that is why there had been an increase in rainfall. But all the incidents of landslides were not because of cloudbursts.
He pointed out that when 10 cm of rainfall is recorded within an hour that can be termed as cloudburst. But landslides can happen in much less rainfall and whenever landslides occur, people and the media report that those were caused by cloudburst. Even 5 cm of rainfall can cause mudslides but that cannot be termed as cloudburst, he added.