Threat of rain looms large

BHUBANESWAR: The threat of rains looms large bringing back the memories of the unseasonal showers of 2010 - which had left standing and harvested crops devastated across large parts of Odisha -  even as a low pressure area formed over south-east Bay of Bengal on Sunday.Forming close to Tamil Nadu coast, the system is gradually turning into a depression area and likely to concentrate into a deep depression during next 48 hours, the India Meteorological Department said.The apprehension of system triggering rains in some parts of the State has already prompted agro-meteorologists to issue advisories to farmers community.According to weather models, the system is likely to intensify into a deep depression over the next week. Chances are there that it might turn into a cyclonic storm if it brewed over the sea for a longer period. Since the path of the system is yet to be predicted, the weather officials say its outer-ring could reach southern Odisha during the middle of next week.“Beginning Wednesday, showers are expected in regions below Puri. Other parts of coastal Odisha could also get a few showers,” said weather office sources. This could cause harm to winter crops - both standing and harvested - and farmers are already keeping their fingers crossed.Last year too, farmers had a hard time after cyclonic rains lashed many parts from December 6 to 10 after a deep depression formed over the Bay of Bengal. The unseasonal rains destroyed harvested and standing paddy, vegetable and other winter crops in the State.At least, 12 lakh hectares of crop area under both paddy and non-paddy in 26,638 villages of 200 blocks under 23 districts suffered a loss of 50 per cent and above. The estimated the loss was at Rs 6,000 crore.While the rains are a threat to the farming community, it could also increase the discomfort of the winter as mercury is likely to drop further. The weather office said the on-going cold wave will continue while night temperature may drop a few degrees over next 24 hours. Though overcast conditions, caused by the weather system, may bring the mercury up, conditions will be cooler than usual.On Sunday, large parts of the State continued to be gripped by the cold wave. At least, 12 stations recorded sub-10 degree Celsius temperature with Phulbani recorded 4.6 degree, the lowest. In remote pockets, the mercury dropped to near zero degree C.