Monsoon drawing to close: 30% deficit

Chennai: With barely two weeks to go for the northeast monsoon to come to an end this year, the current 30 per cent deficit rainfall is bad news for the state.

Tamil Nadu is already suffering from power shortage and the poor northeast monsoon will also lead to drinking wa­ter scarcity apart fr­om affecting agriculture.

While the Met officials are expecting a low-pressure system to bring some rainfall to the so­uthern districts in Tamil Nadu between Chris­t­mas and New Year, the possibility of monsoon revival is close to zero in the city.

“Except for Ka­nyakumari and Tiru­nel­veli districts, all other regions in the state are reeling under deficit rai­nfall this season,” said Dr Y.E.A. Raj, deputy director general of meteorology, Regional Mete­or­ological Centre in Che­nnai.

Weather blogger R. Pra­deep John added that not even a single easterly wave affected Tamil Na­du this year, nor did it bring enough rainfall to the state.

This deficit rainfall is bound to create a serious challenge to water managers in Che­nnai on how to manage the looking drinking wa­ter shortage during the summer season next year.

“The state received ra­ins only from cyclonic sto­rms and even those two depressions that cro­ssed Tamil Nadu gave rains for only one day each,” John added.

While the season witnessed a record four cyc­lones— Phailin, Helen, Lehar and Madi — this year, but for the last one none of the others made landfall in Tamil Nadu.

Even Madi crossed the sta­te only as a depression, bri­nging rains for only a day. The state has so far rec­eived a mean ra­­infall of 29.5 cm compared to a normal of 42 cm for the nort­hea­st mo­nsoon season.

Due to a poor NE monsoon, Chennai has realised only 43.6 cm rainfall compared to a normal of 81.7 cm for the period starting October 1 to Dece­mber 18.

While depleting ground water levels raise a conc­ern ov­er water sou­rces, the re­­s­ervoir levels are also at an alarming low.

However, Dr Raj said that the excess rain during the southwest monsoon had helped Chennai cross 100 cm (109 cm so far) of rec­orded rainfall in 2013.

But, out of a to­tal 11.057 tmcft, the four res­er­v­oirs- Po­ondi, Sholav­aram, Re­dhills and Chem­ba­r­a­mp­akkam cu­r­re­ntly hold only 3.632 tmcft offering little cheer.