Recent Rains brings Hope

After the brief spell of thundershower in Darjeeling town and parts of the Dooars yesterday evening, people across the North Bengal districts, reeling under a dry spell, are looking up to the sky hoping for more such spells but prolonged in the coming days.

Unlike the normal weather conditions, this year, the entire North Bengal region is witnessing an absence of seasonal rainfall since winter. The prolonged absence of rainfall has made life all the more difficult with acute water scarcity especially in the Hills.

In Kalimpong and Kurseong, the exhausted public even resorted to road blockade demanding early solution to the scarcity of drinking water there. But the authorities, as of now, ended up looking up to the heaven as the people continue to suffer.

Tea gardens and agricultural lands in the region have also been severely affected due to the absence of rainfall. The tea industry has already reported a sharp fall in productivity as compared to the same time last year. As per the industry experts, if the weather remains static, there is every possibility of the tea plants getting parched up. Amid all this, yesterday evening’s brief spell has brought an indication that a downpour might not be too far. Scientists of the Weather Observation Centre (WOC) at the North Bengal University also raised hopes in this regard.

“The Western disturbances currently visible have created a conducive atmosphere for a downpour throughout the eastern region. In all probability, North Bengal districts would experience heavy rainfall within a week,” said Mr S Sarkar of the WOC.

However, Mr Sarkar added that like the one in Darjeeling and Dooars yesterday, there would also be some scattered thundershower in different parts of the region in the next 24 to 36 hours. The maximum temperature in Siliguri was today recorded at 29.2 degree Celsius as compared to 32.9 degree Celsius yesterday. The humidity conditions also improved from 96.5 per cent yesterday to 71.5 per cent today.

Source > The Statesman