With the monsoon now just around the corner, concerns have been raised that the second phase of local elections rescheduled for June 28 might be marred by rainfalls and water-induced disasters. Monsoon rain in Nepal originates from the Bay of Bengal and enters the country from the eastern side usually around June 10. This year, the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) is expects the monsoon to arrive on time. In the worst case scenario, even if the monsoon gets delayed by a week, the second phase of the elections will be held only after the onset of the monsoon.
As the Election Commission (EC) prepares to hold the polls in 461 local units of 41 districts-mostly in tarai and some hilly districts, concerns have been raised that rainfalls may dampen the election spirit, preventing people from voting in case of heavy rainfall on the Election Day.
“As the election day is still 27 days away, we cannot predict now that it will rain in particular places on that exact day. But generally speaking, yes, it is likely to rain during the monsoon,” said MFD’s senior meteorologist Raju Pradhananga. MFD, a division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, has the capacity to forecast weather only three days in advance.
Full Article: My Republica – Rainfalls may affect elections during monsoon.