Kerela, Chhattisigarh, Jharkhand witness deficient rainfall: Govt

Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have witnessed a slight decrease in the rainfall over the past decade, while Gangetic West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, West Uttar Pradesh, Konkan and Central Maharashtra have seen an increasing trend during the period, the government today said.

However, the Long Period Average during the monsoon for the country has remained more or less at 890 mm, which is average.

The Bundelkhand region, which is witnessing a drought-like situation for second consecutive year, has been receiving deficient rainfall for the last one decade.

"The monsoon rainfall for the country as a whole over a long period data has not shown any significant trend. However, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Kerela have witnessed slight decrease in rainfall.

"Eight sub-divisions namely Gangetic West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, West Uttar Pradesh, Konkan and Goa, Central Maharashtra, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayaleseema and North Interior Karnataka have shown an increasing trend," Minister of State for Earth Science Y C Chowdary said in a written response in Lok Sabha.

A mapping done in 572 districts across the country by Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has found that the parts of the Bundelkhand region which falls in Madhya Pradesh lies in "high" to "medium" variability index of climate change while the areas under Uttar Pradesh are "very high" to "high".