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AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
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RAINFALL
Agriculture in the district solely depends upon the vagaries of the
monsoon, there being few major or minor irrigation projects excepting some tanks and wells. Hence the district is either enriched or impoverished according as the rainfall is normal, scanty or excessive. It should, however, be noted that most of the disasters that befell Wardha district were not due to scarcity of rains but excess of it This has been confirmed by the Fact-Finding Committee appointed by the then Government of Bombay in 1960. It reported that the incidence of crop-failure in the district is very low and whenever it happened it was due to excessive rains. It concluded for that reason that none of the tahsils of the district could be regarded as scarcity area. But yet rainfall is the only determinant of the pattern and rotation of crops and the productivity of land.
The district receives rainfall from the south-west monsoon, its intensity being the greatest in August. Properly speaking June to September is the monsoon period, although a few showers are received during the winter months too. These winter showers, if light, are welcomed by the agriculturists for they help their winter crops, especially wheat; but heavy winter showers are rather a bane to the crops than a boon.
All parts of the district do not receive uniform rainfall. It increases as one proceeds from north to south. “ The average rainfall at Wardha during the 37 years preceding 1904-05 was 41 inches. The figures for each tahsil headquarters for the 33 years ending 1899-1900 was Wardha 40 inches, Arvi 35 inches and Hinganghat 43 inches. The average of these three stations which is called the District rainfall is 39 inches. ” [ Central Provinces District Gazetteers, Wardha District, Vol. A, 1906, p. 8.]
The table that follows gives the average number of rainy days and average rainfall for the three stations of Wardha, Hinganghat and Arvi since 1901 to 1964.
TABLE No. 2
AVERAGE RAINFALL IN MILLIMETRES WITH AVERAGE RAINY DAYS IN WARDHA DISTRICT FROM 1901 TO 1964 |
Stations |
Months | |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
Sept. |
Oct. |
Nov. |
Dec. |
Jan. |
Feb. |
Mar. | |
Wardha | R. D.† |
2.05 |
2.66 |
8.78 |
14.98 |
12.23 |
10.00 |
3.63 |
2.46 |
1.81 |
2.12 |
2.12 |
2.21 | R. F.* |
18.02 |
21.76 |
187.17 |
324.39 |
241.92 |
206.75 |
65.28 |
43.85 |
20.23 |
20.56 |
22.51 |
20.79 | |
Hinganghat | R. D. |
2.10 |
2.27 |
9.09 |
16.42 |
12.59 |
9.15 |
3.55 |
2.62 |
1.78 |
1.92 |
2.62 |
2.40 | R. F. |
21.83 |
19.52 |
181.89 |
375.84 |
265.70 |
189.81 |
57.30 |
36.98 |
26.18 |
20.59 |
23.11 |
21.70 | |
Arvi | R. D. |
1.95 |
3.20 |
8.65 |
14.30 |
11.06 |
9.33 |
3.18 |
2.60 |
1.85 |
1.82 |
2.28 |
1.96 | R. F. |
17.07 |
25.59 |
172.05 |
301.51 |
224.03 |
167.82 |
51.00 |
38.68 |
23.03 |
20.97 |
23.35 |
17.23 |
* R. F.=Rainfall
† R. D.=Rainydays
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