Thiruvananthapuram: Threat of severe drought looms large over Kerala, thanks to the deficient rainfall in 2016.
During the past year, Kerala received just 186 cm of rain, 42 percent lesser than the expected 310 cm. The State has a tough time ahead as the expected maximum rainfall between January and May is merely 60 cm.
All the four rainy seasons gave Kerala a miss in 2016. The northeast monsoon, which was to bring 47 cm of rain between October and December, too, failed, with the State receiving just 18 cm, a deficiency of 61 percent.
Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram recorded a deficiency of more than 80 percent.
Over the years, Kerala has been dependent on the northeast monsoon to tide over the summer months. The retreating monsoon, however, was one of the worst in 2016. Several districts, including Wayanad, received 60 per cent less than the expected rainfall.
The State is expected to receive the winter rains in January and February and the summer rains before the southwest monsoon. The maximum rainfall expected in winter is 24 cm, but in 2016, it too played truant with the State receiving just 19 cm.
The summer rains, too, posted a deficiency of 18 per cent from the expected 38 cm in the previous year.
