New Delhi, Thursday, September 20, The surprising late surge of the southwest monsoon in Rajasthan continued for the fourth straight years turning the gray desert land into a green lush field. The rain after mid-August over the region has given way to gushing rivers and water bodies filled to the brim in Jaisalmer and Barmer districts.
The pattern of heavy rain in the second half the monsoon season has more or less been the norm in the last three-four years. Due to this pattern many desert villages in the region are looking greener than ever before. The rains have solved the problem of fodder and water but it is hard to imagine that the threat of drought loomed in this very region a little more than a month ago.
In western Rajasthan, the monsoon rainfall was 15% above the normal as of September 18. The major part of it has been received since the second week of August. As of August 22 the region was short by 25% in terms of rain with villages facing severe water crisis.
Rain hasn't stopped as yet. So much so that Jaisalmer received 220.7 mm of rain against the average rainfall of 165 mm. Weekly deviations from normal rains in the district between August 8 and September 12 were 268%, -44%, 37%, 300% and 381%. In Bikaner too, the story is no different. The desert district has recorded 202 mm of rain and the twin district of Barmer is greener than it has even been.
