Jammu, Aug 16:  While Jammu and its adjoining areas experienced above than average monsoon this summer causing huge damage to the infrastructure, there are some areas in the region which received far less rainfall than the normal.
As per the Agronomy Department of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)   Chatha, Udhampur district received 277.7 mm less rainfall than the normal till first week of August. The district witnessed a total rainfall of 190.2 mm during June 1 to August 6, while the normal rainfall expected was 467.9 mm.
Kathua   witnessed shortfall of nearly 44.6 mm rains, while the Kandi belt continue to reel under dry spell. Rajouri district also witnessed 21.6 mm less than the expected rains. Similarly, Doda and Ramban districts also experienced 21.3 mm and 9.7 mm lesser showers this year so far.
However, weather experts say that Jammu district and southern districts, due to favorable monsoon clouds and Western Disturbance (WD) is breaking all the previous records. The rain in Jammu has already crossed the record mark of 600 mm.
“This year monsoon picked up early, but its concentration was over Jammu district only at times. It was in last week that higher reaches received some major rainfall, which had swelled river Tawi and Chenab”, said an official.
Sources said that in anticipation of the good monsoon this year, administration had well   geared up men and machinery well before the onset of the season to meet any eventuality, but as higher reaches received much lesser rains, there was not major flood threat in the low lying areas along the Chenab and Tawi.
Important to note that the arrival of the monsoon was very good, but after a short spell it became weak which resulted in less rainfall in the initial phase. “Now, it has become active again, but it is still slow than the last year as during this period in 2010 the region witnessed continuous rains for days together”, said a weatherman.
  Chief Agro-Meteorologist at SKUAST-Jammu, Dr. M.K Khushu said that the recent devastation caused by the monsoon rains was surprising. “It was unexpected and mostly due to strong monsoon bearing clouds which developed over Jammu. It was abrupt weather condition beyond anybody’s control to predict”, Khushu said.
He said that Metrological unit at the University has not been able to track the weather fully since the floods which hit the area   has snapped the power lines   rendering the instruments useless.
Meanwhile, weatherman has predicated that the present condition will continue to next week after that the monsoon will get weaker.  Last year seasonal downpour during the monsoon till late August 2010 was recorded around 998.7 mm in Jammu, which had broken the long spell of the droughts that the state was reeling under for the past four years.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST