Rainfall deficiency in Punjab, Haryana at 65 per cent

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana, the two leading agrarian states of the country, have received scanty monsoon rains so far this year with deficit as high as 65 per cent each in the two states.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, has also received poor rains this season with a deficit of 65 per cent, an official of the Chandigarh's MeT Department told here today.

According to the data available for the time period between June 1 and August 31 this year, Punjab received a rainfall of 138 mm, against a normal of 400.7 mm for the period, resulting in a deficit of 65 per cent, he said.

In neighbouring Haryana too, the situation was alarming with the state receiving 131.3 mm rainfall during the period, as against normal 380.3 mm of rain, leaving a deficit of 65 per cent.

Union Territory Chandigarh received 244.7 mm of rains between June 1 and August 31 period as against normal of 689.9 mm, resulting in deficit of 65 per cent, the official pointed out.

He further said that in Punjab, places including Barnala (deficit of 90 per cent against normal), Sangrur (85 per cent), Mansa (82 per cent) Patiala (82 per cent) received scanty rains while the situation was slightly better in comparison at places like Gurdaspur, where the deficit stood at 28 per cent.

Places in Haryana which received poor rain included Kurukshetra (80 per cent), Panipat (80 per cent) while the deficit at Yamunanagar stood at 44 per cent for the June 1-August 31 period.

Punjab Government had already sought special a package of Rs 2,330 crore from the Centre to deal with prolonged dry spell conditions.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has expressed concern over prevailing drought-like situation in his state and had recently reviewed the situation with senior officers of the State government.

Haryana has sought from the Centre a special package of Rs 4,829.25 crore to deal with the drought-like conditions in the state.

With polls in Haryana due in October, Hooda has said that the State will even purchase power at higher rates from other states, but won't allow the crops of the farmers to wither away.