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AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
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RAINFALL
Prior to 1909, rainfall was registered for general purposes at ten stations in the district, viz., the five tahsil headquarters (Chanda, Warora, Brahmapuri, Sironcha and Gadhchiroli) and
also at Mul, Armori, Chimur, Muramgaon and Allapalli.
Besides these, seven more stations were also maintained by the
then Public Works Department in connection with the more
important State tanks. The stations at Chanda, Warora, Brahmapuri, Sironcha and Mul date from the sixties of 18th
century. The average annual rainfall of the district, according
to these stations, for 39 years ending 1905-06 was 1244.6 mm.
(49 inches). The heaviest falls were recorded at Brahmapuri
which had an annual rainfall of 1384.30 mm. (54½ inches) and
the lightest at Warora with an average of 1149.35 mm.
(45¼ inches). During the same period the district rainfall had
in 18 years exceeded 50, and in nine years fallen short of
1016 mm. (40 inches). The highest recorded annual fall was
1776.48 mm. (69.94 inches) in 1887-88 and the lowest 489.78 mm.
(19.28 inches) in the famine year 1899-1900. The actual average
monthly figures for the 33 years ending in 1899-1900 were 184.15 mm. (7¼
inches) in June, 400.05 mm. (15¾") in July,
298.45 mm. (11¾") in August. 215.90 mm. (8½") in September
and 50.8 mm. (2 inches) in October. In the remaining portion
of the war the average rainfall was only 95.25 mm. (3¾ inches).
At present there are 16 rainfall stations in the district. The average rainfall returns of each of these stations for the period between 1914-15 and 1961-62 is given in the table No. 2. The district can be divided into three broad rainfall regions. The eastern region comprising the tahsils of Sironcha, Gadhchiroli and Brahmapuri has heavy and a dependable rainfall. The central region which comprises Chandrapur and Rajura tahsils gets sufficient rainfall, while the western part of the district comprising Warora tahsil gets a moderate rainfall.
The annual rainfall increases from 1143 mm. (45") in the west to over 1524 mm.
(60") in the east. The monsoon usually breaks out in the second or in the third
week in June and if it follows a normal course, should increase in intensity
through July, somewhat abating in August and continuing to slacken through
September and disappearing about the middle of October. The rainfall is heaviest
in the hilly and jungle rice tracts of Brahmapuri and also in the thickly wooded area of Aheri. It is lightest in the cotton country of the Warora tahsil.
"The mean rainfall at Brahmapuri, Chandrapur and Sironcha is 1447 mm. (56.96"), 1270 mm. (49.99") and 1226 mm (48.26"), respectively. Standard deviation at these stations is 358 mm. (14.10"), 278 mm. (10.94") and 275 mm. (10.84") and coefficient of variability is 24.75 per cent, 21.88 per cent and 22.47 per cent, respectively. The rainfall reliability is measured by coefficient of variability. The degree of reliability in the regions represented by the three stations is thus high. [District Census Handbook, Chanda,
1961, p., 2.]
TABLE No. 2
AVERAGE RAINFALL IN CHANDRAPUR DISTRICT FROM 1914-15 TO 1961-62
Station |
Number of years of data (2) |
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
(1) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
(7) |
(8) |
|
Aheri (1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 8.84
0.65 | 17.62 1.00 |
18.35 1.27 |
4.81 1. 65 |
19.08 1.25 |
197.58 8.88 |
|
Armori(l914-15 to 1960-61) |
47 |
a
b | 13.45
0.73 | 19.02 1.38 |
24.39 1.14 |
12.35 1.20 |
13.94 1.49 |
203.35 8.73 |
|
Brahmapuri(1914-I5 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 15.59
0.98 | 20.99 1.46 |
17.90 1.60 |
24.73 1.67 |
16.37 1.40 |
204.93 9.38 |
|
Chandrapur(19l4-15to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 8.75
0.60 | 20.38 1.40 |
18.25 1.40 |
20.66 1.67 |
13.71 1.23 |
193.23 9.44 |
|
Chimur (1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 29.64
0.83 | 16.84 1.13 |
16.86 1.48 |
18.69 1.38 |
21.86 1.56 |
204.09 9.77 |
|
Dhanora (1921-22 to 1961-62) |
37 |
a
b | 9.01
0.54 | .18.12 1.05 |
13.92 1.30 |
8.96 0.84 |
9.91 0.84 |
223.09 9.08 |
|
Gadhchiroli (1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 22.32
0.85 |
17.42 1.21 |
18.10 1.50 |
14.37 1.52 |
17.87 1.13 |
226.88 9.09 |
|
Garmusi (1927-28 to 1960-61) |
32 |
a
b | 8.31
0.66 |
19.33 1.16 |
12.66 1.06 |
12.55 1.06 |
8.13 0.75 |
208.9 9.25 |
|
Ghorajheri (1914-15 to 1959-60) |
46 |
a
b | 9.54
0.48 | 19.77 1.15 |
11.88 1.22 |
9.90 1.02 |
7.39 0.59 |
191.18 6.35 |
a - Average rainfall in
millimeters
b - Average number of rainy days
TABLE No. 2-contd.
|
Station
(1) |
Number of years of data (2) |
July |
August |
Sept. |
Octo. |
Nov. |
Dec. |
(9) |
(10) |
(11) |
(12) |
(13) |
(14) |
Aheri (1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 488.46
18.17 | 418.43 17.10 |
228.50 11.42 |
71.22
4.00 | 14.17
0.92 | 1.74
0.25 | |
Armori (1914-15 to 1960-61) |
47 |
a
b | 502.15
18.13 | 405.62 15.40 |
203.52 11.49 |
69.15
3.31 | 11.57
0.82 | 1.32
0.18 | |
Brahmapuri (1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 516.13
18.44 | 399.40 16.08 |
227.27 10.73 |
67.59
3.21 | 13.50
0.98 | 3.40
0.29 | |
Chandrapur(1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 384.79
17.63 | 338.67 14.98 |
245.10 10.92 |
78.00
3.73 | 24.71
1.23 | 3.45
0.33 | |
Chimur (1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a
b | 423.69
17.96 | 313.99 14.31 |
218.49 10.71 |
61.86
3.44 | 11.63
0.98 | 15.20 0.25 |
Dhanora(1921-22 to 1961-62) |
37 |
a
b | 605.74
19.76 | 549.20 18.19 |
268.43 12.27 |
595.88
3.16 | 10.69
0.57 | 3.25
0.11 | |
Gadhchiroli (1914-15 to 1961-62).. |
48 |
a
b | 521.72
19.25 | 445.43 16.71 |
276.77 11.77 |
79.96
3.58 | 13.75
0.92 | 2.87
0.34 | |
Garmusi (1927-28 to 1960-61) |
32 |
a
b | 493.77
18.81 | 819.86 15.84 |
251.20 10.56 |
65.01
3.16 | 9.14
0.66 | 2.63
0.16 | |
Ghorajheri (1914-15 to 1959-60) |
46 |
a
b | 440.83
17.44 | 365.09 15.00 |
223.68 10.63 |
55.48
2.65 | 14.29
0.76 | 1.91
0.13 |
a - Average rainfall in millimetres. b- Average number of rainy days.
TABLE No. 2-contd.
Station (1) |
Number of years of data (2) |
Jan. |
Feb. | March |
April |
May |
June |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
(7) |
(8) |
Ghot
(1914-15 to 1932-33) | 19 |
a |
11.04 | 26.92 |
11.11 |
9.40 |
16.00 |
243.71 |
-- |
b |
0.84 | 1.47 |
0.90 |
0.79 |
1.37 |
9.42 |
Khairee
(1914-15 to1961-62) |
48 |
a |
14.67 | 19.93 |
15.16 |
12.37 |
9.02 |
190.28 |
-- |
b |
0.84 | 1.23 |
1.31 |
1.17 |
0.83 |
8.81 |
Kunghari
(1914-15to1960-61) | 46 |
a |
9.24 | 15.54 |
13.03 |
9.18 |
6.90 |
204.64 |
-- |
b |
0.67 | 0.87 |
0.98 |
0.80 |
0.83 |
9.89 |
Mul
(l914-15 to 1959-60) | 46 |
a |
10.79 | 22.62 |
16.84 |
14.48 |
14.70 |
210.29 |
-- |
b |
0.65 | 1.50 |
1.39 |
1.46 |
1.37 |
9.07 |
Nalesar
(1927-28 to1960-61) | 32 |
a |
7.62 | 19.48 |
11.86 |
12.51 |
15.00 |
192.99 |
-- |
b |
0.69 | 1.16 |
0.75 |
0.94 |
1.28 |
9.13 |
Sironcha (1914-15to1961-62) |
48 |
a |
8.31 | 13.64 |
16.47 |
19.62 |
31.07 |
202.99 |
-- |
b |
0.56 | 1.10 |
1.10 |
1.38 |
1.96 |
9.13 |
Warora
(1914-15to1961-62) | 48 |
a |
4.10 | 18.83 |
18.81 |
14.29 |
13.04 |
193.43 |
-- |
b |
0.67 | 1.27 |
1. 35 |
1.38 |
1.25 |
10.02 |
a- Average rainfall in millimetres. b- Average number of rainy days.
TABLE No. 2-contd.
Station (1) |
Number of years of data (2) |
July
(9) | August (10) |
Sept.
(11) | Oct. (12) |
Nov.
(13) | Dec.
(14) | Ghot (1914-15 to 1932-33) |
19 |
a |
467.36 | 392.36 |
246.42 |
57.48 |
19.56 |
1.56 |
-- |
b |
16.84 | 15.00 |
12.42 |
3.90 |
1.16 |
0.11 |
Khairee(1914-15to 1961-62) |
48 |
a |
453.51 | 386.20 |
227.27. |
74.38 |
14.17 |
1.88 |
-- |
b |
17.75 | 15.10 |
10.42 |
3.10 |
0.73 |
0.15 |
Kunghari (1914-15 to 1960-61) |
46 |
a |
512.07 | 407.70 |
217.88 |
67.59 |
11.87 |
1.51 |
-- |
b |
18.20 | 15.91 |
10.59 |
3.09 |
0.80 |
0.11 |
Mul (1914-15 to 1959-60) |
46 |
a |
398.45 | 50.12 |
194.19 |
64.75 |
13.20 |
2.26 |
-- |
b |
18.07 | 14.50 |
10.52 |
3.28 |
1.00 |
0.22 |
Nalesar (1927-28 to 1960-61) |
32 |
a |
412.88 | 356.02 |
217.13 |
67.12 |
7.25 |
2.07 |
-- |
b |
17.69 | 14.66 |
9.69 |
2.78 |
0.56 |
0.25 |
Sironcha (1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a |
487.06 | 337.68 |
188.84 |
77.20 |
17.58 |
2.68 |
-- |
b |
17.69 | 15.29 |
11.17 |
4.13 |
11.88 |
0.25 |
Warora (1914-15 to 1961-62) |
48 |
a |
376.79 | 287.04 |
193.88 |
59.34 |
14.53 |
4.94 |
-- |
b |
16.56 | 13.46 |
9.65 |
3.08 |
1.06 |
0.23 |
a - Average rainfall in millimetres. b- Average number of rainy days
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