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Drought threat looms large

Star Report
The country is experiencing a freakish weather with rainlessness and the sweltering heat threatening a severe drought.
Weathermen at the Dhaka Met office said that the rain making Mediterranean winds were veering off in other directions before reaching Bangladesh.
Without those winds, a weatherman said, rains cannot be expected. This Is an unusual weather, he added.
During this period last year the country had recorded a precipitation of 693 mm in only 40 days, the Met office said.
This year rainfall has been recorded at 190 mm In 55 days.
In this period last year Dhaka division recorded rainfall at 144 mm in 12 days compared to 40 mm in 13 days.
Chittagong division in this period last year recorded rainfall at 357 mm in 11 days compared to 97 mm in 16 days this year.
The above data means that although the frequency of rainfall was higher this year, the showers were much below normal, the weatherman said.
The present situation can be dubbed as a prelude to a drought and if the weather does not change its whims the situation may turn grave, he added.
A leading hydrologist of the country also said that ground water levels in different parts of the country have receded alarmingly because of the scant rainfall.
"We have reports that the water-level fell below 7 meters in most of the
diarrhoea hit areas where many hand tube-wells have become inoperative." he said on condition of an anonymity.
The falling of the water levels in the rivers of the country Is another cause of the receding ground water levels.
The Ganges water level near Hardinge Bridge was recorded at 5.51m on Wednesday which should be at least 7m during this season.
Rainfall and river water are closely related to ground water levels.
The scarcity of pure drinking water is the main cause of diarrhoea which has already claimed over 600 lives in the country.
The situation will not improve without heavy rainfall, sources said.