Rainfall in India 9% higher than previous years but 85 districts still dry

In India, rainfall is up 9% from the previous year. Of the 85 dry districts, 42 are in Uttar Pradesh and 12 are in Tamil Nadu.

Monsoon has covered entire India. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows the country has received excess rainfall of 9 per cent since June 2022, a Dainik Bhaskar report stated. However, 85 districts have still not received adequate rainfall. Almost 32 crore people reside in these districts.

42 out of these 85 districts are in Uttar Pradesh, while twelve are in Tamil Nadu. North-east and north-west India have been rain deficit this season by 5 and 8 per cent respectively.

Heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh

During the past few days, the heavy rainfall in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra has resulted in waterlogging and incessant downpours that have created a flood-like situation.

According to the Maharashtra SDMD report on Sunday, 76 people have died (till July 10) since June 1, and as many as 838 houses were damaged due to the rain-related incidents in the state.

At least 200 people, including children and women, were rescued and shifted to safer places in Madhya Pradesh's flood-hit Harda district. Heavy rainfall since Tuesday caused flooding in the district, and more than 70 houses were submerged. The highway connecting Bhopal-Betul has been closed due to the overflowing Mancha river.

Several teams have been deployed to rescue people caught in floods and take them to safe places, the chief minister's office said on Wednesday.

The regional office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already warned that heavy rain will occur in the Harda district. Observing the situation, the district administration has ordered schools shut for the day.

As per the IMD's report, in the last 24 hours, Betul district has received 140 mm of rain, Pachmarhi 111 mm, Khandwa 68 mm, Seoni 58 mm, etc. The department has issued yellow alerts in districts such as -- Raisen, Bhopal, Neemuch, Narsingpur, Balaghat and Mandla.

As per the reports, at least 47 people in Madhya Pradesh have been killed due to lightning strikes in just a week, taking the toll to 111 in the last one-and-a-half months. State capital Bhopal has alone reported around 7,000 lightning strikes, according to scientists at Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhopal, in two days on July 11 and 12.

Wide variation in New Delhi

After a weeklong wait, the much-awaited monsoon instalment finally arrived in Delhi but with a wide-ranging variation - from 0 mm to 77.5 mm - at play.

Heavy rainfall has lashed Noida and the NCR region, but the areas of Palam, Dwarka and Najafgarh are dry.

(With agency inputs)