Monsoon might cover entire country by Wednesday

India's southwest monsoon might cover the entire country within 48 hours, news agency Reuters reported on Monday quoting a senior India Meteorological Department (IMD) official. As on Monday, the southwest monsoon covered 90 per cent of the country's geographical area, leaving out some parts of western Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Rains would be 107 per cent of the long period average (LPA, average rainfall of the past 50 years) in July, IMD Director B P Yadav told Reuters.

The rains from June 1 to July 11 have been around two per cent above normal. Monsoon arrived a week later than usual in India this year. Monsoon rains are crucial for the planting of summer-sown crops such as cotton, rice, soybean and sugar.

Meanwhile, the rains continued to be heavy in areas where it has already reached. Incessant rains wrecked havoc in parts of the country on Monday, killing seven persons in Madhya Pradesh, four in Maharashtra, and one in Assam.

The northern states, however, witnessed fluctuating monsoon activity with heavy rains lashing some parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Delhi getting light rainfall, and Haryana and Punjab experiencing dry weather conditions.

Meanwhile, four persons were killed and as many injured in incidents of house collapse due to heavy rains in Maharashtra's Nandurbar district that received 390 mm of rains since Sunday.

Nashik was battered by incessant rains and received a whopping 1,899 mm. Due to the downpour, the water level in Gangapur dam, which supplies drinking water to Nashik, has risen to 47 per cent.

The Godavari river, which flows through Nashik, has submerged many temples located on its banks. Heavy rains in and around Pune over the past few days have raised the water level in the four dams that provide water to the city. In Assam, one person was killed after being swept away by flood waters in Morigaon district, while the situation in five other affected districts remained critical. As many as 135,000 people have been hit by the devastating floods that have destroyed embankments and roads.