Rain relief for west, north still parched

Several parts of Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have received widespread rainfall over the last two days, but there has been no further movement in the northern limit of southwest monsoon.

Several parts of Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have received widespread rainfall over the last two days, but there has been no further movement in the northern limit of southwest monsoon.

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It continued to pass through parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Gangtok in Sikkim.

Met department has said a low-pressure area could form over north-west of Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours and bring widespread rain over east and adjoining central parts of the country in the next two or three days.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall has also been predicted in isolated pockets of Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu in the next 24 hours.

Meteorologists have predicted widespread rainfall activity over the west coast, east India, Chhattisgarh, north Andhra Pradesh and northeastern states from June 28 to June 30.
Bhakra supply cut

Truant monsoon has hit paddy growers in Punjab hard, with the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on Thursday reducing the supply of water for irrigation to Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan till July 10.

Water release from the Bhakra and Pong dams, which irrigate their fields, has been reduced by over 8,500 cusecs. Cusec is a measure of flow rate and stands for cubic foot per second (28.317 litres per second).

To add to farmers’ woes, no rain is expected in the plains of north-west till June 30. Punjab, which relies on canals, is already rotating supply of canal water to farmers. (With inputs from Prabhjit Singh in Chandigarh)