Heavy rains forecast in Saurashtra-Kutch during 17th to 23rd July

• As on 13 July 2020, an estimated 57.37 lakh hectares of kharif crops have been planted
• The state received an average of 11 inches of rain by 14 July 2020

Currently, the monsoon is prevailing in most parts of the state. All the talukas of the state have received rainfall ranging from 1 mm to 53 inches so far. A webinar of the Weather Watch Group was organized from Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Relief Commissioner and Additional Secretary Harshad R. Patel to address the rains and possible situation in the state. TJ Vyas, Deputy Collector, State Emergency Operations Center, welcomed all the online officials and started the Weather Watch meeting. Relief Commissioner Patel told officials present at the virtual meeting that the state has received an average of 11 inches of rain till July 14, 2020. Which is 32.48 per cent of the state's average rainfall of 33 inches over the last thirty years. 

Heavy rains forecast in Saurashtra-Kutch from July 17 to 23 The

IMD (Meteorological Department) has issued a PPT forecast for heavy rains in Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath districts and Kutch district of Saurashtra from July 17 to 23 next week. Besides, light to heavy rains are forecast in Navsari, Valsad and Surat districts of South Gujarat and some areas of Banaskantha district of North Gujarat.

estimated 57.37 lakh hectares of kharif crops have been sown till July 13, 2020, against 67.58 per cent of the average sown area in the last three years , an official of the agriculture department said. During the same period last year, 48.79 lakh hectares were planted. This year, 67.58 per cent of the area has been planted against the average area under the last three years. Informing the meeting, the forest department said that control rooms are planned to be functioning at all the taluka levels of the state under which control rooms are functioning at 24 places.

Instructions to NDRF as well as SDRF to be vigilant In 

addition, various departments including Irrigation Department, R&B Department, Energy, NDRF as well as SDRF reviewed the pre-preparation. In addition, all were instructed by the relief commissioner to be vigilant in dealing with possible calamity in the coming rainy season.