Excess Irrigation Over North India Shifting Monsoon Towards North West
According to a report of climate researchers, heavy irrigation in north India could be the reason for shifting monsoon to the North West part of the subcontinent, increasing the land temperature in central India. These meteorological threats may lead to crop failure.
One of the chief causes of monsoons is the difference between annual temperature trends over land and sea. As peddy irrigation in North India starts way before the monsoon, the irrigated land remains flooded with water during this time. As the water evaporates, land tends to cool during the period of August-September.
It's known that air travels from a high-pressure zone to a low-pressure zone. (Gravity plays the role here)
Low pressure is associated with rising air and high pressure associated with sinking air. Thus, when the land is hotter than the sea, the pressure difference is created.
Air carrying water vapours from the high-pressure zone travels to the low-pressure zone resulting in rising air which is linked to cloud formation that causes rain.
Notwithstanding the previous pattern, the sinking air is unlikely to travel north due to cooling; rather it goes toward the northwest region which is hotter than North India.
These hazardous trends and shifting the monsoon could pose great threats not only to the farmers but also to the people living there. Excessive irrigation can lead to water scarcity that needs to be debated.
