Vol. 13, Issue 2 (2024)

Author(s):
RS Sayyad, VM Jadhav and SV Phad

Abstract:
The study of the rainfall variability and its trends is a good tool for the policy makers for agricultural planning, water resource assessment, hazard mapping, flood frequency analysis etc. Therefore, several studies have been conducted by various researchers in order to know the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall. In this study, we analyzed the variability and trends annual & seasonal rainfall of the eight blocks of Palghar district for the period 1998–2022, The daily rainfall data taken from Department of Agriculture, Maharashtra State. The original Mann–Kendall (M–K) test has been applied to the rainfall dataset in conjunction with Sen’s Slope Estimator. The block wise analysis of annual rainfall variability reveals a considerable variation over 25 years. The result concluded that M–K test, with a Kendall’s tau of 0.460 and 0.337 (significant at a 5% level), shows an increasing trend in annual rainfall in Dahanu and Talasari block respectively. The Sen’s slope, which measures the rate of change annually, has a value of 47.0 & 36.1 mm respectively. Whereas rainfall trend at Vasai block was decreased annually during 1998-2022, with the Sen’s slope rate -14.5 mm rainfall. Non-significant increasing as well as non-significant decreasing trend was observed in the Wada, Vasai, Mokhada, Jawhar, Palghar and Mokhada blocks of Palghar District during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons during (1998–2022), And the rainfall shows significant increasing trend during winter at Vasai, Jawhar, Mokhada, Palghar and Vikramgad. Since this study could help policymakers in agricultural planning, valuable climatic and water resource management decisions.