Pre-monsoon rains bring respite to farmers

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, May 1: A prolonged winter drought that hit hard agriculture sector is now having some relief and experiencing positive signs after a good shower on Saturday and Sunday, thanks to the impact of the local and westerly winds as well as the low-pressure trough that developed in the country.

Farmers were impatiently waiting for the rains as their crops were drying out. Devi Prasad Acharya of Ilam-11 said the rain had come as a good relief. The maze plants were dying 

because of the long drought but with the rain some of them have a chance to survive and produce corn, he said over the phone. Ilam received good rainfall on Sunday. 

Rupesh Yadav, a BBA third-semester student, said that he could breathe freely as a good rain occurred in Kathmandu. “I could barely go outside in the past month due to increasing pollution level in Kathmandu. I was waiting for a good shower so that the rain could control the forest fires and wash away the dust over the sky of Kathmandu. I am enjoying the cool rain,” Yadav, who hails from Janakpur, said.

The pre-monsoon rainfall has helped in decreasing the temperature of the Terai districts, which had crossed 40 degrees Celsius in the past weeks.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division has said the country would witness precipitation for another three days due to westerly winds as well as local developments.

The system has brought rainfall across the country because a low-pressure trough has developed in our location, said Sanjib Adhikary, a senior meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecast Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.

According to Adhikary, currently, almost all districts of the hill and mountainous regions of Bagmati Province, including the Kathmandu Valley, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Province, are receiving light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms.

The shower is quite light in the district of eastern Terai while other areas have witnessed moderate showers on Sunday, he said. 

“On Monday, light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is expected at some places of the country. 

There is a possibility of a storm in one or two places in Madhes Province,” he said.

There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning in some hilly areas as well as a few places in the Terai. The DHM has requested to take necessary precautions to avoid damage and risk as the flow of water may increase in the canals, rivers and tunnels.

The Kathmandu Valley on Saturday recorded 43 mm rainfall, the highest in the country. Makawanpur 

received 38.8 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours till 5 PM Sunday, Dang received 23 mm, Dhankuta received 22.2 mm, Salyan received 21.8 mm, Rukum received 21 mm, Bardiya received 20.4 mm and Dailekh received 24.4 during that period.