Distribution of rainfall in India

Distribution of rainfall in India

Rainfall in India: The distribution of rainfall in India is neither uniform and nor even. The south-west monsoon winds bring rainfall to the greater part of India. Southern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu receive rainfall on account of the retreating monsoon winds. The hills of Jammu and Kashmir, North Western Rajasthan and some parts of Punjab receive rainfall on account of the western disturbances. The Jet streams bring rainfall to some parts of northern India. Indian agriculture is greatly dependent on south¬west monsoon rains.

The Classification:

The rainfall regions of India are classified into four regions based or he amount of annual rainfall received.

1. Very heavy rainfall regions.

2. Heavy rainfall regions.

3. Moderate rainfall regions.

4. Scanty rainfall regions.

1. Very heavy rainfall regions:

The regions that receive more than 200 cm annual rainfail are called very heavy rainfall regions. The west coastal plains and western slopes oft!" Western Ghats, the southern slopes of the Khasi and Jaintia hills, Assam and West IT ugai ire very heavy rainfall regions in India.

2. Heavy rainfall regions:

The regions that receive annual rainfall in the range of 100-200cm are termed as heavy rainfall regions. The middle regions of the Gangetic Valley (the northern plains), Western Ghats, eastern Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa are heavy rainfall regions in India.

3. The moderate rainfall regions:

The regions that receive annual rainfall in the range of 50- 100cm are called moderate rainfall regions. The upper regions of the Gangetic Valley, eastern Rajasthan and Punjab, southern plateaus of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are moderate rainfall regions in India.

4. The scanty rainfall regions:

The regions that receive less than 50cm of annual rainfall are known as scanty rainfall regions. The northern parts of Kashmir, western Rajasthan, western Punjab and some parts of Deccan plateau are scanty rainfall regions in India.