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AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
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RAINFALL
Agriculture in the district mainly depends upon rainfall. There are no major irrigation schemes. Wells, bunds and a few tanks form the only source of irrigation. The rainfall, therefore, determines the pattern of crops, rotation of crops and the productivity of land in the district.
Broadly speaking, the district can be divided into two parts, the first consisting of the Melghat and Achalpur talukas which receive higher rainfall, and the second composed of the rest of the district receiving medium rainfall. The average rainfall of the district is 812.8 mm. (3 2") but varies from 736.6 mm. to 1,524.0 mm. (29" to 60"). The dense forests of Melghat,
Chikhaldara and Dharni receive heavy rainfall. Parts of the
Achalpur and Morshi talukas adjoining the Satpuda ranges
receive rainfall varying between 889.0 mm. (35") and 1447.8 mm.
(57"). In the low-lying plains of Dhamangaon, Daryapur,
Chandur, Anjangaon and Morshi, rainfall is medium.
An analysis of rainfall over the last 46 years between 1914-15 and 1959-60 shows that Chikhaldara had the highest average, viz., 1527.556 mm. (60.14"), closely followed by Dharni and Amravati. Excepting the forest areas, the degree of variation of rainfall is not high in the district. Similarly, the year to year variations are not very wide. The following table shows the average rainfall during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon and winter periods which was recorded at various stations from 1914-15 to 1959-60. Besides average rainfall in the four periods, the statement also gives average number of rainy days.
The monsoons start in the month of June during which about 101.6 mm. (4") to 177.8 mm. (7") rainfall is generally received. July and August are the months of heavy rainfall when 203.2 mm. (8") to 406.4 mm. (16") of rainfall are recorded. The rains normally recede from the end of October. Most of the annual rainfall is received from the south-west monsoon coming from the direction of Arabian Sea and moving towards the north-east.
TABLE No. 2
AMRAVATI RAINFALL RETURNS
(Average of 46 years from 1914-15 to 1959-60 in mm.)
Stations |
Pre-Monsoon |
Monsoon |
Post-Monsoon |
Winter |
Total |
1st April to 31st May |
1st June to 30th September |
1st October to 30th November |
1st December to 31st March |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
(7) |
(8) |
(9) |
(10) |
(11) |
Amravati |
1.96 |
42.926 (1.69) |
41.15 |
1,203.960 (47.40) |
3.93 |
120.142 (4.73) |
3.65 |
70.612 (2.78) |
50.69 |
1,437.640 (56.60) |
Badnera |
2.07 |
26.162 (1.03) |
40.13 |
752.348 (29.62) |
4.07 |
73.152 (2.88) |
3.52 |
42.418 (1.67) |
49.79 |
894.080 (35.20) |
Morshi |
2.00 |
18.034 (0.71) |
38.55 |
751.586 (29.59) |
3.76 |
71.882 (2.83) |
3.54 |
45.212 (1.78) |
47.85 |
886.714 (34.91) |
Chandur |
1.96 |
18.288 (0.72) |
39.24 |
667.258 (26.27) |
3.98 |
58.674 (2.31) |
3.26 |
47.244 (1.86) |
48.44 |
791.464 (31.16) |
Kholapur |
1.61 |
19.304 (0.76) |
38.20 |
757.936 (29.84) |
3.59 |
78.994 (3.11) |
3.24 |
51.816 (2.04) |
46.64 |
908.050 (35.75) |
Barur |
1.96 |
25.908 (1.02) |
44.65 |
866.140 (34.10) |
4.00 |
76.708 (3.02) |
4.52 |
49.530 1.95) |
55.13 |
1,018.286 (40.09) |
TABLE No. 2-cont.
Station |
Pre-Monsoon |
Monsoon |
Post-Monsoon |
Winter |
Total |
1st April to 31st May |
1st June to 30th September |
1st October to 30th November |
1st December to 31st March |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
No. of Rainy days |
Rainfall |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
(7) |
(8) |
(9) |
(10) |
(11) |
|
Talegaon |
2.72 |
31.750 (1.25) |
41.83 |
830.326 (32.69) |
4.28 |
74.930 (2.95) |
3.65 |
60.960 (2.40) |
52.48 |
997.966 (39.29) |
|
Ellichpur |
1.96 |
17.780 (0.70) |
40.07 |
664.718 (26.17) |
3.87 |
88.138 (3.47) |
3.46 |
47.752 (1.88) |
49.36 |
818.388 (32.22) |
|
Daryapur |
1.65 |
15.494 (0.61) |
34.54 |
611.378 (24.07) |
3.72 |
70.866 (2.79) |
2.74 |
41.910 (1.65) |
41.65 |
739.648 (29.12) |
|
Anjangaon |
1.76 |
14.986 (0.59) |
36.35 |
681.228 (26.82) |
4.11 |
97.028 (3.82) |
3.39 |
48.006 (1.89) |
45.61 |
841.248 (33.12) |
|
Chandur Bazar |
1.98 |
13.716 (0.54) |
40.89 |
705.104 (27.76) |
3.46 |
78.232 (3.08) |
3.87 |
43.180 (1.70) |
50.30 |
840.232 (33.08) |
|
Chikhaldara |
3.11 |
28.194 (1.1l) |
64.46 |
1,326.134 (52.21) |
5.46 |
115.316 (4.54) |
3.93 |
57.912 (2.28) |
76.96 |
1,527.556 (60.14) |
|
Dharni |
1.35 |
-- |
48.55 |
-- |
3.74 |
-- |
2.17 |
-- |
55.81 |
-- |
Note-Figures in brackets are in inches.
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