Comprehensive District Annual Plan 2011-12 Balasore District

Comprehensive District Annual Plan 2011-12 Balasore District
condition throughout the year, 20 (6.92%) GPs are located close to the sea, and 27 (9.34)
GPs close to forests (Table 2.4). This unfavourable topography bears a lot of risks against
successful cultivation of crops by the farmers.
Table 2.4. Distribution of Gram Panchayats on the basis of Topography
Type of Topography Total
Details
Hilly
area
Waterlogged
Close to
sea
Plain land
Close to
Forest
No. of
GPs
No. of GPs 27 30 20 185 27 289
% 9.34 10.38 6.92 64.02 9.34 100.00
Source: Primary survey, 2010
Climate:
Climate of the district is characterized by hot summer and high humidity during rainy
season, dry winter and low diurnal range of temperature throughout the year. Annual
normal rainfall of the district is 1592 mm, which is almost 9% higher than normal rainfall
of the state. This is due to cyclones which cause major precipitations in the area. Cyclones
are frequent in the district because of close proximity to Bay of Bengal. The district is
generally affected by cyclones which are caused when depressions originate in the Bay of
Bengal over Andaman & Nicobar Islands and move towards East Coast of India.
More than 70.97% of the rainfall is received between June to September through south -
west monsoon. Month wise normal rainfall of the district is as detailed below (Table 2.5)
Table 2.5. Monthly Normal Rainfall in the district
Month Normal Rainfall (mm) Period Normal Rainfall (mm) % to total Rainfall
Feb 31.80
Mar
Apr
34.40
62.20
Pre Monsoon 236.90 14.88
May 108.50
Jun 221.50
Jul
Aug
308.60
332.10
Monsoon 1129.80 70.97
Sep 267.60
Oct 170.50
Nov
Dec
34.60
5.50
Post-Monsoon 225.30 14.15
Jan 14.70
Total 1592.00 - 1592.00 100.00
Source: Orissa Agricultural Statistics, 2006-07
Maximum Temperature of the district varies between 29 o C in the month of January to 35 o C
in the month of April. January and December are the coldest month of the year with
average temperature of 14 oC. Humidity of the district generally ranges between 66% in the
month of April and May to 83% in the month of August.
Table 2.6. Monthly Normal Temperature and Relative Humidity in the district
Month
Maximum
Temp ( oC)
Minimum
Temp ( oC)
Relative
Humidity (%)
Month
Maximum
Temp ( oC)
Minimum
Temp ( oC)
Relative
Humidity (%)
Jan 29 13 62 Jul 33 26 81
Feb 34 17 59 Aug 31 25 83
Mar 34 21 60 Sep 33 25 81
Apr 35 25 67 Oct 33 24 69
May 35 25 65 Nov 31 19 69
Jun 34 26 76 Dec 29 15 63
Source: Orissa Agricultural Statistics, 2006-07
Natural Calamities:
Balasore is one of the most natural disaster-prone districts of Orissa. Flood, cyclone and
drought regularly devastate the economy of the district. Frequent occurrences of natural
calamities stand as a barrier to economic progress of the district in the agricultural front.
TSI: NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS) 20