Monsoon 18% below normal in past week

The southwest monsoon in the first week of June was 18 per cent below normal, as the onset got delayed by a week. Hitting the Kerala coast on Wednesday, it is now expected to make swift progress, reaching Mumbai around June 11-12. The usual onset date of the monsoon is June 1.

Prolonged drought and dry weather over much of the northern and western parts have hit water levels in 90-odd major reservoirs. Data from the Central Water Commission showed these levels were 16 per cent of their full capacity during the week ending June 9, down 11 percentage points from a year earlier.

The latest levels were lower than the past 10 years’ average of 20 per cent and one percentage point down compared with the previous week.

‘Re-develop abandoned water bodies’

Just ahead of the monsoon, the central government on Thursday held a high-level meeting with the states to re-develop reservoirs, lakes, ponds, and small rivers for development of aquaculture and fisheries.

The meeting, which was to prepare a national action plan for development of the fisheries sector, also decided to promote marine fisheries production through sea-cage culture and cultivation of commercially important fish species of tuna, prawns and shrimps.

“Both inland and marine water resources possess huge potential and we have impressed upon the states to clean up the ponds, rivulets, reservoirs etc ahead of the monsoon which is also breeding time for fishes so that aquaculture can be promoted,” a senior official said.

Centre will provide seeds, hatcheries etc to the states to cultivate fishes in abandoned water bodies. “This will provide an alternative source of employment to farmers,” the official added.