Bhuj, June 25: WITH monsoon officially setting in in the State and Kutch already experiencing a heavy spell of rain on Monday, Kutchis are surprised at the early spell and are hoping for a repeat of last year’s bountiful rains. ’’We have reports of good rainfall from almost all talukas of this vast district since wee hours of Monday. Abadasa in western Kutch, Bhuj in the centre and Rapar in far off eastern part had recorded good rainfall till noon and the sky continues to be overcast with thick black clouds giving hope of continued spell of rains.The farmers are jubilant and have begun sowing," Additional District Collector H S Mehta told this paper.

But there is speculation whether this is monsoon yet. Some regard these to be pre-monsoon showers caused by cyclonic conditions in the Arabian sea. They say that the monsoon officially sets in in the middle of July. ’’We go by our own Kutchi calendar. It normally rains around Ashadi Bij (the second day of the month of Ashad) which is Kutchi New Year.The New Year day is still a fortnight away,’’ argues an exponent of Kutchi New Year-based monsoon theory.  
 
An official at the local office of the IMD confirmed there was some confusion but that the Ahmedabad IMD office had said that monsoon was officially here. Some others clear the air. ’’It is true that monsoon in Kutch sets in around Kutchi New year which normally falls in July.

But last year it was in June end.This year confusion arose because of the local calendar having an ’adhik maas (additional month)’. You remove this adhik maas and there would be the Ashadi Beej right now," clarifies Manilal Thackar, local industrialist .

Even Kandla Port Trust authorities say they were taken by surprise. ’We have stopped loading and unloading operations of soya, fertiliser, rice and other agro product along with cement. This constitutes half of our daily handling of all dry cargo," said Traffic manager H C Venkatesh said.

He said this slowing down in cargo handling would continue till wet spell was on. According to State Emergency Response Center, Nakhtrana taluka received 48 mm rainfall, Mandvi 47 mm and Mundra received 45 mm of rains. Bachao and Lakhpat talukas received a total rainfall of one inch.

The taluka of Abdasa received 24 mm of rainfall. Rapar taluka received 17 mm and Anjar taluka received 14 mm of rainfall on Monday.

Courtesy: Ahmedabad Newsline - Ahmedabad,India