AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

RAINFALL

Agriculture, though the backbone of the whole economy of the district, is in itself dependent on the vagaries of nature. It is the amount and time of the rainfall that still determines the agricultural operations including seasonal activities and pattern of crops in the district. The district receives rains which traditionally break in the mrig nakshatra, in the beginning of June. However, the rainfall is not uniform throughout the district. It is more in the southern part than in the northern one Washim gets on an average 880 mm. (34.646 inches) as against 765 mm (30.118 inches) at Balapur. The mean rainfall at Akola is 802 mm (31.575 inches). On the. whole, an average annual precipitation in the district comes to about 816 mm. (32.126 inches). The district has suffered from scarcity conditions on few occasions. The Fact Finding Committee appointed by the Government of the former Bombay State in 1960 has, therefore, reported that no area in Akola district can be regarded as having a permanent feature of scarcity.

The season-wise analysis of the annual precipitation based on the average for 13 years ending 1964, in the district is given in the following statement.

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