By Manoj Kumar Ojha
GUWAHATI: As the heat wave continues in Assam the farmers and tea growers are the worst affected.
“Due to the uncertainty of rain , I and many other farmers of our village is not sowing paddy seeds. It may cause suffering of paddy cultivation this year,” Jatin Moran, a farmer in Tinsukia district of upper Assam told OurIndia.
“There was smart shower yesterday evening yet again there is no relief from the heat wave conditions. The power cut is multiplying the sufferings. Above all it is badly affecting the tea gardens,” Brahmanand Goswami, manager of Goswami Tea Estate told OurIndia.
In the last week of April this year also hailstones had badly damaged the tea gardens.
However, the northeast region witnessed increased rainfall activity in the last 24 hours till Friday .
A forecast by Indian Metrological Department ( IMD ) said , “Conditions are favourable for further advance of the Southwest monsoon into some parts of the Northeastern states by Saturday. Conditions are also becoming favourable for advance of the Southwest monsoon over the remaining parts of the Northeastern states and some parts of Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim by Sunday. “
The normal date of the arrival of the monsoon in the northeast is June 5 .
Simultaneously, moisture incursion due to strong low level southerly and south-westerly winds from the way of Bengal to the north East is very likely during the next 5 days.
Under its influence, fairly widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds is very likely to occur over the northeast during the next five days.