This time in 20 years, the ‘thirst’ of Rajasthan’s Thar has been quenched, understand its meaning.

New Delhi : The Thar Desert of western Rajasthan is considered to be the driest region in the plains of the country. The special thing is that this time during the monsoon, two out of 36 sub-divisions of the country, including Thar, received more rainfall. In other words, this time Thar’s thirst was quenched. Surprisingly, this was not an unusual monsoon for western Rajasthan. It has been receiving above normal rainfall for at least the last two decades. This is indicative of changes in monsoon patterns in a warming world.

More rain than normal in 12 out of 20 years

According to IMD data analyzed by our associate newspaper Times of India, western Rajasthan has had above normal or above normal monsoon for six consecutive years. Over the past 20 years, June–September rainfall has been at or above normal in 12 years. Of the remaining 8, five have had normal monsoons and three have had deficient monsoons. On average, monsoons have been 19% above normal during 2005-2024. How unusual such rainfall is in this region can be appreciated by comparing it with two adjacent subdivisions, Punjab and Haryana, during this period.

Pattern of Punjab, Haryana

Punjab received more than normal rainfall just one year. There were 12 normal years and seven years when the monsoon was deficient. This means it has been 20% or more below normal. On average, June-September rainfall in the state was 13.5% below normal during 2005-2024. The monsoon pattern of Haryana is similar to that of Punjab. Since 2005, there have been three years of above normal rainfall, eight years of normal rainfall and the same number of years of deficient rainfall.

Moreover, the monsoon has been ‘very deficient’ (or deficient) in a year. On average, the monsoon has been 13.3% below normal in these 20 years. Even across India, the monsoon has on average been 1.5% below normal during this period.

Less than normal rainfall data in Thar

M Rajeevan, meteorologist and former secretary of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, explained that it should be noted that being the driest subdivision (SD) in the country, the ‘normal’ rainfall figure for Western Rajasthan is higher than the other two dry subdivisions. is quite low. Presently the rainfall here is 283.6 mm, while in Punjab it is 439.8 mm and in Haryana it is 430.7 mm. Nevertheless, the deviation is significant. In recent years, western Rajasthan has received more rainfall in absolute terms than Punjab or Haryana.

Rainfall in Rajasthan and Punjab-Haryana is determined by the position of the monsoon trough and the westward movement of low pressure systems during the rainy season. During recent years, we have observed that the monsoon trough was located south of its normal position with greater westward movement of low pressure systems. In such conditions, Rajasthan receives more rainfall and Punjab-Haryana receives less rainfall.

Why is the rain increasing in Rajasthan?

Rajeevan said the region could attract rain clouds due to changes in soil moisture, land use patterns and possibly the addition of water bodies like the Indira Canal in recent decades. “The moisture response of the local soil over Rajasthan also helps to bind the monsoon trough to that position and attract more low pressure systems over that region.

he/she said there is increasing evidence of increased soil moisture in Rajasthan and its interaction with the monsoon. Finally, increased rainfall in the Thar Desert in recent years may be a sign of things to come in the era of climate change. Rajeevan said future climate projections suggest Rajasthan and its deserts will see more rainfall in a warmer climate.