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Once afflicted by droughts, ‘desert state’ Rajasthan now awash with rain

This season has received 80 per cent more rain than the normal rainfall so far. This is the highest in the whole country.

Sentinel Digital Desk

JAIPUR: Rajasthan, once known for drought, is not that dry now. The desert state has now joined the select few states, where it is raining more than normal. Within a month of monsoon, almost every area of Rajasthan has become waterlogged.

This season has received 80 per cent more rain than the normal rainfall so far. This is the highest in the whole country. Till now it has been believed that Rajasthan receives the least rainfall in the country, especially in the Thar desert districts. But in the last decade, this myth has also been broken.

According to the report of the Meteorological Department, in the last 12 years, not even a single year has passed when Rajasthan has received less rainfall than normal. Rajasthan was supposed to receive 206 mm of rain by now but in July itself this figure has crossed 370 mm. Rajasthan has not received less than normal rainfall in a single season since 2011 for 12 consecutive years. Even in these 12 years, the least rainfall was recorded in 2018. Then only 393 mm of water was rained in Rajasthan. That year minus 6 per cent rainfall was recorded in Rajasthan. And in 2011, the maximum rainfall was recorded at 590 mm.

Talking about this season, Rajasthan has already received about 400 mm of rain before the end of July. In such a situation, it is believed that if there is normal rainfall in August and September, then this time a new record will be created. This could be the highest rainfall ever in Rajasthan in a season.

According to the report of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), between the years 1961 to 2010 and 1971 to 2020, the rainfall figures in the states have changed in 50 years. Rajasthan is among the states where the rain trend has changed the most and the fastest. Rajasthan has seen the maximum increase of 10 to 33 per cent. Apart from this, the trend has definitely changed in some parts of Jammu-Kashmir, Odisha, Western Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, but not as much as in Rajasthan. The northeastern states once used to receive the most rainfall, but there has been the biggest change. Cherrapunji of Meghalaya was called the place in India where it rained the most. But now it does not rain there like before. In the last 50 years, the rainfall in the north-eastern states has decreased by 90 to 120 per cent. IANS

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