Uttarakhand received the highest rainfall among the North Indian states, see Meteorological Department’s data

Heavy rains have created havoc in Uttarakhand these days. Incidents of formation of lakes or major landslides have been reported in not one or two but many districts. In such a situation, if we assess the rain records at the national level, it is revealed that Uttarakhand has been the most affected by rain in North India during the monsoon season. The surprising thing is that the neighboring states of the state are nowhere near in terms of data regarding rain. Here is this special report.

Too much rain has become a problem: Debris on the mountains of Uttarakhand is becoming a deadly disaster along with water. In many areas including Dharali and Tharali, it has destroyed human settlements. To know closely what is the reason behind such conditions in the state, it is very important to assess the data of the Meteorological Department, which describes the condition of rain at the national level. Along with knowing the real situation of rain in the states during the monsoon season, it is also easy to understand the reason for such incidents through these figures. Know what the Meteorological Department’s data is pointing towards in this monsoon season regarding Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand received more than 1000 mm of rain in 3 months: Uttarakhand has received a total of 1077.6 mm of rain since June 1. Whereas normally the state should have received 944.8 mm of rain during this period. That is, 14% more rain has been received so far in this monsoon season. But if we look at this thing in terms of rainfall in a month, then normally 350.02 mm of rain should have been received so far. Whereas in the month of August, 487 mm of rain has been received so far. That is, 39% more rain than normal has been received this month. The special thing is that after the start of the monsoon season, the maximum number of natural disaster incidents have occurred in this month.

Uttarakhand received the highest rainfall in North India: However, 14 percent more rain in Uttarakhand in the entire monsoon season or 39% more rain in the month of August is not a problem. Rather, the problem is the excessive rain in a short time. That is, the state is recording rainfall of 50 mm or more in just a few hours. In the language of the Meteorological Department, this may not be called cloudburst, but in terms of the geographical situation of Uttarakhand, this rain can be considered very high. However, the Meteorological Department considers cloudburst only when there is 100 mm rainfall in 1 hour.

This is the reason for more loss of life in landslides: The geographical situation of Uttarakhand is somewhat different from other states. Being a Himalayan state, most of the districts here are mountainous. The special thing is that apart from the abundance of weak mountains and landslide zones, the population here is settled on the debris of various water streams or glaciers in the past. In such a situation, heavy rain washes away the already accumulated debris and engulfs the populated area along the slope and this becomes the reason for loss of life.

What do geologists say: Geologist Professor DK Shahi says that-

The geographical situation of Uttarakhand is such that the moisture reaching here with the clouds becomes the reason for heavy rain in the valley between the mountains. Due to this, heavy rain in less time becomes a big problem.

-Professor DK Shahi-Geologist-

Topography of Uttarakhand responsible for more rain: It is not just about heavy rain in the current monsoon season. The topography of Uttarakhand is such that there is excess of rain here. This can also be understood from the data of the Meteorological Department itself. If we compare Uttarakhand with the rest of the states of North India this monsoon season, then these figures appear even more shocking. This is because Uttarakhand has been recorded as the state with the highest rainfall in North India. However, this is nothing new for Uttarakhand.

Rainfall figures of different states: According to the data of the Meteorological Center, Uttarakhand has received 1077.6 mm of rain since June 1. Whereas in the neighboring state of Himachal, only 775.01 mm of rain has been recorded. Only 507 mm of rain has been received in Jammu and Kashmir. Only 74.1 mm of rain has been received in Ladakh. The rainfall in Haryana during the monsoon season has been 419.9 mm. Neighboring state Uttar Pradesh has also received only 563.8 mm of rain. Madhya Pradesh has received 912 mm of rain and Rajasthan has received 560 mm of rain. On the other hand, 436 mm of rain has been recorded in Punjab. Even Bihar has received 544.7 mm of rain.

Uttarakhand is among the states with the highest rainfall in the country: All these figures show that no state in North India comes close to Uttarakhand in terms of rainfall. It is a different matter that some states in the North East have received more rainfall than Uttarakhand. Similarly, South Indian states like Kerala, which are situated near the sea, also receive more rainfall than Uttarakhand. But despite all this, Uttarakhand is among the states with the highest rainfall in the country.

What does the Director of Meteorological Center say: The special thing is that the Meteorological Department has considered 944.8 mm of rain in Uttarakhand as normal. That is, the normal rainfall fixed in Uttarakhand is also much higher than the rest of the states. The director of Uttarakhand Meteorological Center says that-

The reason behind this is that the geographical location of Uttarakhand itself is such that it receives more rainfall. Western Disturbance, which is important for rain, is very effective in Uttarakhand. The geographical location of the state and the mountain ranges here cause more rainfall.

The reason behind this is that the geographical location of Uttarakhand itself is one of high rainfall. Western Disturbance, which is important for rain, is very effective in Uttarakhand. The geographical location of the state and the mountain range here are the reason for more rain. Not only this, local factors are also the reason behind this. The large forest area in the state also makes the conditions of rain favorable.

-CS Tomar, Director, Uttarakhand Meteorological Center-

Standards of normal rainfall of three states: If we look at the standard set by the Meteorological Department regarding rain for Uttarakhand, then 944.8 mm of rain has been considered normal in the state, while for Himachal the same figure has been kept at 591.8 mm. On the other hand, even less rain has been considered normal for Jammu and Kashmir. 434.02 mm of rain has been calculated in the normal record in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rain is taking a toll on unplanned development: Meteorologists also believe that Uttarakhand is the state with the highest rainfall in North India. But at present, the problem is more rain in less time. Apart from this, the bigger problem is that the unplanned development in the hilly areas of the state is also causing trouble in adverse conditions. Perhaps this is the reason why incidents like Dharali and Tharali are causing more damage in the state.