Dry spell in Maharashtra to end by second week of Sep

The current prolonged dry spell in Maharashtra is likely to end by September 13 with the weather office predicting a good spell of rain in the third week of this last month of monsoon season.
Speaking to reporters here today, state Disaster Management Authority Director Suhas Diwase, citing the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, said the dry spell, which started last month, was likely to end in a week.
"We are expecting the long dry spell to end by September 13. Rains should resume by start of the third week," he said.
Rains are expected to be bountiful in most parts of the state, the official said.

Meanwhile, sources in Mantralaya (secretariat) said the Agriculture Department has shelved plans to set up automated weather stations in the state.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in November 2015 had announced the Government will install 1,059 such stations all over the state so that farmers get real time weather reports and plan their farm activities accordingly.

Currently, the Water Resources Department has its own weather stations in Krishna river basin to monitor rainfall and then calibrate release of excess water from dams, he said.
Yesterday, the Government directed the concerned officials to ensure 12-hour power supply to farmers during day time so that they can water their fields using pumps.

The decision was necessitated because of the continuing prolonged dry spell that has put standing kharif crops at risk of wilting.
The sources said barring Beed, Osmanabad districts and rain-shadow areas of western Maharashtra, the rainfall in central Maharashtra and Marathwada has been good so far.
The Government is now planning to install automated weather stations at the administrative circle level, he said.
At present, rainfall data is gathered manually from the weather stations by Agriculture Department officials once in the morning.
Also, there are some weather stations which are operated by Agriculture, Water Resources departments and Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA).

The source said plans are afoot to link them for better weather forecasting.