Monsoon woes: 5% rain deficit impacts over one-fourth of country, says IMD

Met dept expects situation to improve during June-Sept period in 2017

Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi 

rainfall, rain deficit, monsoon
A woman stands on a seaside promenade against the background of clouds gathered over the Arabian Sea in Kochi, India. (File photo: Reuters)

More than one-fourth of the country has received deficient this monsoon, which is halfway through, but the is hopeful of the situation improving in the remaining period.

According to the (IMD), there is five per cent overall shortfall in rains across the country, but the deficiency is more in 26 per cent of the country's land mass.

The deficiency is more in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, and western Uttar Pradesh, it said.

has projected "normal" southwest monsoon in 2017, which is from June to September.

"The coastal, north and south interior have been receiving good since the last two days. has also begun in and We are hoping the situation will improve," Director General K J Ramesh said.

Last week, the Met Department had said the second half of the monsoon season is likely to be 100 per cent of the Long Period Average. The during August is likely to be 99 per cent.

Noting that monsoon is reviving, Secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences Madhavan Rajveevan tweeted, "Good rains over central including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat in the next 2 weeks."

He also noted that "regions (are) likely to recover" but cautioned about "chance of floods" in some parts.

Sowing of kharif (summer) crops has been affected in states with deficit rains, though overall sowing area across the country remains higher at 976.34 lakh hectare till last week of the season as against 984.57 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, as per the Agriculture Ministry's data.

Among the states with deficit rains, said that north and south interior have both recorded deficiency in range of 20-25 per cent so far.

There has been 32 per cent deficit so far recorded in and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra, which had reported farmer suicides over the last few years.

Even east and west have recorded a deficiency of 23 per cent. Parts of recorded deficient for a second consecutive year.

However, some states especially east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and Gujarat have witnessed floods.