Rain in Maha 86 pc of average; water storage 66 pc of capacity

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Maharashtra has received 823 mm, or 86.1 per cent of the year's average rainfall from June 1 to September 4, and the water storage in the state is 66.1 per cent of the total capacity, an official release said Tuesday.

As much as 97 per cent arable area has been brought under Kharif sowing, it said.

There is 66.1 per cent water storage in the water bodies in the state as of September 4, while the last year the stock was 64.95 per cent in the corresponding period, it said.

Eleven districts have received over 100 per cent rainfall: Thane, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Nanded, Hingoli, Akola, Washim and Gadchiroli.

Raigad, Sindhudurg, Dhule, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Jalna, Latur, Parbhani, Buldhana, Amravati, Yavatmal, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia and Chandrapur have received 75 to 100 per cent rainfall so far.

Nashik, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Solapur, Aurangabad, Beed, and Usmanabad districts have received rainfall between 50 and 75 per cent of average during this period.

The area under Kharif crops excluding sugarcane is 140.69 lakh hectares. By August 31, 2018, 135.90 lakh hectares was brought under sowing, covering 97 per cent area.