BHUBANESWAR: Despite delayed monsoon, Odisha received 9.9 per cent surplus rainfall this season from June to September. While the cumulative rainfall in the State was deficient by 31.5 pc and 9 pc respectively in June and July, the rainfall in August and September remained surplus by 24.5 pc and 53.7 pc respectively.
The South-West Monsoon advanced to Odisha on June 21 instead of second week of June. The rainfall remained quite inadequate in most parts of the State during the last week of June and first three and half weeks of July delaying agricultural activities.
According to statistics released by the office of Special Relief Commissioner, good spell of rain was received towards the end of July and the trend continued in August and September.
Southern and Western districts witnessed floods in three spells due to heavy rainfall in July and August. Balangir town received a record amount of 555 mm rainfall in a single day on August 13 which led to an unprecedented flood situation in Western Odisha town.
While Malkangiri district received the highest rainfall of 1888.6 mm (31.9 pc surplus), Gajapati received the lowest rainfall of 945.8 mm (2.6 pc surplus). Of 30 districts, 10 received surplus rainfall and 19 received normal rainfall. However, rainfall in Deogarh district remained deficit between 19 pc and 39 pc.
Koraput, Kalahandi, Jharsuguda, Puri, Malkangiri, Balangir, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Sonepur and Cuttack districts received surplus rainfall of more than 19 pc during the period.
As many as 103 blocks received surplus rainfall of over 19 pc and 169 blocks received normal rainfall. Similarly, 40 blocks received deficit rainfall of 19 pc to 39 pc and two blocks - Champua and Jhumpura in Keonjhar district received severe deficit rainfall of over 40 pc.