Heavy rain cuts Andhra Pradesh monsoon deficit to 22%

Andhra Pradesh’s Southwest Monsoon rainfall deficit fell sharply after heavy rain from a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, according to the India Meteorological Department. The deficit declined from 43% on September 15 to 22% on September 25. The deep depression crossed the coast near Kalingapatnam and brought particularly heavy rain to coastal districts on September 23 and 24.

Before the recent spell, the State had recorded 251.1 millimetres of rain against a seasonal normal of 437.6 millimetres. It had been the country’s third most rain-deficient State on September 15, behind Meghalaya and Manipur. The change was especially pronounced in Visakhapatnam district.

Its deficit stood at 53.2% earlier in the week, but the district received 291.9 millimetres between September 22 and 26, against a normal 29.3 millimetres for that period. By September 26, its deficit had fallen to 3.6%. Other north coastal districts also recorded substantial improvement.

Vizianagaram’s deficit fell from 37.2% to 10.2%, Srikakulam’s from 38.7% to 7%, and Kakinada’s from 44.8% to 13.7%, according to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics and the State Disaster Management Authority. The rainfall also restored water levels in reservoirs including Mudasarlova in Visakhapatnam, which had nearly run dry after a prolonged dry spell. However, the improvement has not been uniform.

All eight districts of Rayalaseema continue to report large deficits, with Annamayya recording the region’s highest at 62.5%. S. Karunasagar, a senior scientist at IMD-Amaravati, said the State could still face drought conditions because the deficit might widen again and Rayalaseema had received little benefit from the latest rain.