Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.
Districts under different categories of rainfall: 1999.
Category
Name of districts
Its number
1. Abnormal rainfall (60% or more
than normal rainfall)
Nil
Nil
2. Excess rainfall (20%-60% more
than normal rainfall)
Jaisalmer, Bharatpur,
Chttaurgarh
3
3. Normal rainfall (
−
20% to +20% of
normal rainfall)
Hanumangarh, Jodhpur,
Ajmer, Bhilwara, Nagaur,
Tonk, Dausa, Dholpur,
Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Baran,
Bundi, Jhalawar, Karauli,
sawai Madhopur
15
4. Deficit rainfall (
−
60% to
−
20% less
than normal rainfall)
Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar,
Jalore, Sirohi, Pali, Alwar,
Jaipur, Kota, Banaswara,
Dungarpur, Rajsamand,
Udaipur
13
5. Scanty rainfall (
−
60% or less than
normal rainfall)
Barmer
1
Source
:Ref.4.
10
5
. It is said to be the second drought year, as last
year also, in all 20,069 villages of 20 districts of the State were affected by
scarcity.
With good rains in the month of July 2000, there was every hope that
the crisis would be over. However, it is distressing that the widespread
failure of rains in the month of August and September 2000 has raised the
spectre of a much more serious drought situation, since this was the third
consecutive year of rain failure in Rajasthan. While the overall deficiency
in rainfall from June to September was 29%, 21 districts out of 32 districts
had rainfall deficiency to the extent of (
villages was 261
.
79
×
−
) 60% to (
−
) 20% (Table 2).
6. Impact of Drought in Rajasthan
In 2002, out of the 5.87 million hectares of area sown, 2.72 million hectares
had been damaged due to scarcity of rainfall. The western districts of
Rajasthan were most affected by the unavailability of fodder from the neigh-
boring States (Punjab and Haryana), which used to supply fodder in normal
years. Due to non-availability of water and fodder, people started leaving
their unproductive cattle and there were reports of animals dying of hunger
and thirst.