After lapsing more than a month of onset of South West Monsoon in this hill state it was still deficient by 25 per cent and shows heavy departure in Lahaul Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba districts and tribal areas of this hill state.
The Met Office Shimla Scientist Bui Lal said that since the onset of monsoon season till today Lahaul Spiti district records rainfall deficient by 85 per cent as district got 37.4 mm rainfall compared to 245.9 mm normal. Similarly Kinnaur deficient by 60 PC with 50 mm rainfall compared to 125 mm normal and Chamba was deficient by 52 PC as it got 392.1 mm rainfall compared to 808.8 mm normal record. This was followed by Bilaspur district deficient of 23 mm rainfall, Una and Hamirpur 10 per cent each respectively. Shimla, Solan and Kullu had more than normal rainfall in the State as it record 12 mm, 8 mm and 1 mm excess rainfall respectively.
Met Office said that average rainfall in the State is 360.5 mm during this monsoon compared to 475.7 mm so it is 24 per cent deficient in the entire State. The production of Kharif crop mainly depending on the good monsoon spells is likely to be affected in the State as 80 per cent of arable land is under rain-fed agriculture or without irrigation facilities.
This hill state which houses number of irrigation dams to neighbouring states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan also got reverse impact of low monsoon rain in the State. The good spell of monsoon in certain areas also charged and feed number of drinking waters supply, Irrigation and power project schemes.