Question

Describe the general distribution of rainfall in India.

Answer 1

Rainfall is not evenly distributed across the Indian subcontinent. The fact that one part of the country experiences floods while the other experiences droughts proves unequal rainfall distribution across the country. The average annual rainfall is 120 cm. But the distribution depends on factors like relief features, direction of moisture-laden winds and the location of a place and its distance from the sea. The western coast and northeastern India receive over about 400 cm of rainfall annually. However, it is less than 60 cm in western Rajasthan and adjoining parts of Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab. Rainfall is equally low in the interior of the Deccan plateau, and east of the Sahyadris.