Rajasthan received normal rainfall in June

Jaipur, July 1 (IANS) At a time when many states in the country are reeling under drought-like situation with the monsoon shying away from opening up the clouds, Rajasthan has received normal rainfall in June, officials said.

Shiv Ganesh, Director at the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Jaipur chapter, said, "The state has overall received 45.7 mm rainfall in June, which is a deficit of -9 per cent which falls under the normal limit (-9 to +19 per cent come under normal rainfall limits)."

Eastern Rajasthan -- where 66.8 mm rainfall is considered normal -- recorded 73.3 mm rainfall in June which was in excess. However, western Rajasthan witnessed a deficit of -33 per cent. While 36.9 mm rainfall is considered normal in western Rajasthan, the area received 24.6 mm rainfall in June, Ganesh said.

"Rajasthan has been lucky to receive normal rainfall in the last few years," he added.

Prince Purohit, principal consultant at Arpan Seva Sansthan, said, "Rainfall trend in Rajasthan has changed over the last few years. The state has received excess rainfall in the last two-three years. In fact, the cycle has changed a lot in western Rajasthan where rainfall share, which was once quite low, has substantially increased now."

He attributed these changes in trend to the frequent tornadoes. In fact, El Nino impact can also be seen in the state, he added.

Purohit said that Rajasthan was not witnessing Maharashtra like situation because farmers here sow crops which don't need a lot of water. "The main crop sown here is bajra (millet), which doesn't require whole lot of water like sugar cane grown in Maharashtra. Hence things stand balanced here," he informed.

Also, farmers here have equal dependency on agriculture and livestock unlike in Maharashtra and other southern states where livestock dependency is quite less.

"We have been working on watershed management over the last many years. Implementing water management practices to protect and improve the quality of water within a watershed by managing the use of water resources in a comprehensive manner has yielded tangible results in state," Purohit said, adding that Arpan Seva Sansthan has 23 offices in Rajasthan which are working on over 12,000 hectares of land covering 50 villages on watershed management.

Looking at the severe water crisis gripping the country, the state government has also announced to start a Jal Shakti campaign in Rajasthan.

According to Rajeshwar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary at the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, "Sapling plantation, reuse of borewell recharge structures, water catchment area development, rainwater conservation and renovation of ponds and lakes will be done at a large scale."

Singh said that water conservation schemes at the block and district levels will be launched under the campaign, which will be merged with the District Irrigation Scheme. Simultaneously, the selection of appropriate crop will be encouraged in accordance with its water consumption quality and water availability for irrigation. Also, recycling of urban wastewater will be ensured for agriculture and horticulture purposes.

He said that according to the Government of India's decision, Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary-level officers will be appointed as Central Nodal Officers at each district for the launch and successful implementation of the campaign. The Central Nodal Officer will also be the nodal officer of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan.