[Assam] Assam witnesses hottest summer in 132 years

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Assam witnesses hottest summer in century

Sanjay Chakraborty/Kishalay Bhattacharjee

Wednesday, August 16, 2006 (Koliabor/Guwahati):

              Assam, which traditionally gets some of the heaviest rain in the country, is experiencing its hottest summer in 132 years. 

Perhaps this is a serious indicator that global warming is here to stay.

Assam, one of the wettest places on earth has been thirsting for rain.

For farmers the wait is stretching to an eternity. Babar Ali, a farmer of Koliabar, has given up all hope.

"We've never seen such drought, not a drop of water even to save the saplings. No irrigation projects working. What are government departments doing? I have never witnessed such a state," said Babar Ali, farmer.

Lowest rainfall

This season Assam has received just 77cm of rainfall the lowest in 132 years.

"It is one of the worst but still two weeks are there in August. If the deficiency is to be covered we need 1cm of rainfall every day, which will again lead to flood. But in next 48 hours there is no chance of rainfall unless the monsoon trough is north bound there is no chance," D Chakrabarti, DDGM, Regional Meteorological Centre.

Farmers believe their crops could've survived the dry spell if at least the irrigation projects were working. 

But of nearly 2000 irrigation schemes 1,200 are defunct like the one in Hatimura due to lack of funds and poor maintenance. 

"The cultivation is gone, destroyed. Everyone is suffering, we are used to rain water for irrigation," said Jadab Deka, a farmer.

The ground water is drying up and even the tubewells are not working. Assam is dangerously close to a drought and is desperate for attention from the government as well as the rain gods. 
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?category=National&slug=Assam+witnesses+hottest+summer+in+century&id=91615

 		
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