Monsoon deficit leaves central India high and dry

India’s southwest monsoon was less than half of normal during the week ending July 8, increasing the deficit from previous week with the revival in showers not strong enough but concentrated to some regions.

Data from the India Meteorological Department showed that between July 2 and July 8, India received around 30.1 millimetres of rainfall as against a normal 61.4 millimetres.

Central India comprising the major oilseed-pulses growing regions of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, and southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, were among the driest.

Rainfall in central India was around 76 per cent less than normal; in southern India, it was 81 per cent less during the week that ended July 8.  Last week the southwest monsoon was around 14 per cent, the deficit increasing to over 51 per cent in the week that ended on July 8.

Overall, in the whole southwest monsoon season starting from June 1, the rains have been four per cent below normal, mainly due to good performance in central, southern and western India in the month of June.

“It rained in the northern parts of the country and the foothills of the Himalayas last week, but in other parts of the country, the weather was mainly dry,”

said D S Pai, director, Long Range Forecast in IMD.

He said while there could be some improvement in the weather till July 11, thereafter a dry spell could set in.

The IMD too, in its forecast, said that enhanced rainfall activity would prevail mainly along the west coast and over western Himalayan region, adjoining northern plains, east and northeast India on most days.

However, it would remain subdued over many parts of the west and adjoining central India, and interior peninsula.

Private weather forecasting agency Skymet too said that rains would remain active over north and central India for the next few days, but subdued over southern India.

A good spell of rain in the next week to 10 days is essential for timely planting of kharif crops in almost 70 per cent of the area to ensure proper yield from the early sown varieties.

The total area sown under kharif crops till July 3 has been almost 57.5 per cent more than last year over 30.60 million hectares (ha).