Punjab To Benefit Heavy Monsoon Rains; Sindh, KP Worst Affected: Arif Goheer

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2020 ) :The above normal monsoon rainfall received by the country from the month of July to September has helped benefit the productivity of Kharif crops in Punjab whereas the crops sowed in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were badly affected.

Head of Agriculture and Coordination, Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC) and Agro-Climatologist Dr Muhammad Arif Goheer told APP that the South Asia Forum meeting in April predicted 10 percent above normal rainfall in the region during monsoon season.

He said the Pakistan Meteorological Department Seasonal forecast had predicted 20 percent above normal rainfall as in Karachi the normal monsoon rains were recorded 140 millimeters (mm) that had lashed upto 500mm.

He informed that Monsoon season in Pakistan occurred from 1st July till September whereas early start of rainfall was noted as early onset and any delay in the pattern beyond 1st July was termed as late onset.

This year monsoon rains started primarily after 1st July but within the normal duration so that it could not be reckoned as a late onset of rains. It was slightly above normal in Punjab which would benefit the rice and maize crops and had also enhanced their growth.

He added that the rainfall during the months of July, August and 1st week of September had also reduced the burden on extensive ground water extraction through tube wells as maize crops needed water after every third day which was made up by the heavy rainwater downpours.

Dr Arif Goheer also highlighted the impending risk of worms attacking the Autumn crops mainly maize due to rising moisture after rainfalls and only selected agrochemicals and pest control sprays were affecting them.

He added that the maize crops in Kasur, Depalpur and Pakpattan were affected by the worms. The rice crops of Sindh were flooded due to extraordinary rainfall than normal which proved the recent monsoon rainfall not favourable for cultivation in that region.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the recent floods in Swat and other areas had inundated the maize crops and apricot orchards in the area which had badly destroyed the crops, he added.

Dr Goheer said there were two impacts of the recent heavy rainfalls as at one hand it helped in boosting the growth of Kharif crops namely rice, maize, cotton and sugarcane.

On the other hand, the entire rainwater was not used for agriculture neither was absorbed underground whereas it flowed through catchment areas into dams and water reservoirs.

It had helped in accumulating a favourable amount of water to cater the needs for future. "Every year in November, there has been 20 percent water shortage reported in the country's reservoirs whereas this time it will not happen as mega water reservoirs like Mangla Dam is filled to its capacity for the first time after capacity rise. The situation is similar at other dams as well."/778