Monsoon 2022 'above normal' but agriculture takes hit

NEW DELHI: The four-month monsoon season officially ended on Friday with the country recording "above normal" rainfall at 6% higher than the long period average. However, skewed distribution in the crucial July-August period left large rain deficits in the Gangetic plains, leading to about 1% decline in the overall acreage of kharif (summer sown) crops as compared to last year.
Drought situation in six states hit summer crop acreage
Despite the monsoon season ending with an overall rain surplus of 6%, there was a fall in the acreage of the summer crop, mainly due to drought conditions in six states, including UP, Bihar and Jharkhand. Although the overall acreage of kharif crops was dragged down largely due to a fall of nearly 5% in sown area of paddy, the country even reported a decline in sowing of pulses and oilseeds.
Overall, however, this was the fourth consecutive year of "normal" or "above normal" monsoon in the country since 2019.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), meanwhile, predicted that the northeast (winter) monsoon season (October-December) rainfall over south peninsular India is "most likely to be 'normal' at 88%-112% of the long period average. The LPA of rainfall over south India during the October to December season, based on data from 1971 to 2020, is about 334.13 mm.
South India, consisting of five meteorological subdivisions (Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikkal; coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam; Rayalaseema; Kerala & Mahe and south interior Karnataka), receives about 30% of its annual rainfall during the northeast monsoon season. The Tamil Nadu subdivision gets about 48% of its annual rainfall during the winter monsoon.
North India too will continue to rainfall for a few more days as any further withdrawal of the summer monsoon is unlikely for at least a week due to the formation of a fresh cyclonic circulation over Bay of Bengal. "A cyclonic circulation over northeast Bay of Bengal is expected to move towards Madhya Pradesh and UP and bring good rains over the Gangetic plains," said M Mohapatra, director general, IMD.
The IMD forecasted likelihood of "normal to above normal rainfall" in October, except small pockets of the southernmost regions and northernmost parts of the country.
‘Extreme weather events toll 1.3k this monsoon’
The IMD on Friday said that the extreme weather events, including rains and floods, across the country during the monsoon season took 1,322 human lives with 52% of them being the victims of thunderstorm and lightning. Though IMD does not compile such data on its own, it released the figures of casualties based on media reports and information provided by different state governments.