Hyderabad: According to the India Meteorological Department, the monsoon is expected to arrive in the city on June 20 after a delay of several days.
Previous data of the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation shows a deficit in annual rainfall in recent years. In 2018, the country had a deficit of 9.4 per cent in the annual rainfall.
Studies have revealed that delay in monsoons is due to climate change which is being witnessed across the globe and the South Asian region.
Dr Rehana Sheikh, climate change researcher in IIIT, Hyderabad, said, “Increased global temperature is causing intensified water evaporation from the vegetative surfaces, further increasing the water supply to the plants. In Hyderabad, 15 minutes of rain can create a flood like situation in low lying areas. The water which should be recharging the ground is flowing into the streets and drains.”
According to a study carried out by the American publication, The Atlantic, experts believe that the Asian monsoon is entwined with many aspects of the global climate.
Researchers believe that the behaviour of the Indian Monsoon will have implications for the whole world. Major activities interlinked with the monsoon make it one of the most important weather events in the country. Months in which we witness maximum rainfall are June, July, August and September. Agriculture provides employment for 50 per cent of people in the country and more than half of them are dependent on rains for irrigation.
Dr D. Raji Reddy, an agriculture expert said, “Extreme events have increased because of climate change. We have started witnessing fewer rainy days, extreme downpours, and frequent heat and cold waves.”
Explaining the correlation, The Atlantic says, ‘Many climate models predict that “wet gets wetter” as a result of greenhouse-gas emissions. David Livingston, deputy director in the Global Energy Centre said, “Climate change doesn’t know of part affiliations. Everyone is going to get affected equally from it.”
