Government calls meet today to discuss low monsoon impact

The IMD had said there was a 60% chance of the El Niño weather phenomenon to impact the monsoon

To gauge preparedness to deal with a sub-normal monsoon, the  government has called a meeting of relief commissioners and secretaries of state governments on Tuesday.  

Representatives from the  National Disaster Management Authority, Indian Space Research Organisation, Central Water Commission, India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Disaster Response Force, Geological Survey of India and ministry of defence are expected.

IMD has said it expected the southwest monsoon to be 95 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), the average of yearly rainfall from 1951 to 2000, which is 89 centimetres. Rain between 96 and104 per cent of LPA is considered normal.

It had also said there was a 60 per cent chance of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which causes low rain, to impact the monsoon. In the recent past, the years 2002, 2004 and 2009 were drought ones for this reason.

The four-month southwest monsoon season provides almost 70 per cent of the rain this country gets in a year. The rain is not only crucial for growth of kharif crops, planted during the season; it also provides the necessary moisture to the soil for the following, rabi, season.

Despite agriculture’s falling share in gross domestic product, the monsoon has a cascading impact on the rural economy, as almost 60 per cent of India’s population lives in villages. Less than normal rain could also put added pressure on the price of food commodities, particularly oilseeds, pulses and vegetables, as cereal is mainly grown in those areas with good irrigation facilities.

In February itself, the Union agriculture ministry directed all states to prepare contingency plans for dealing with any situation arising out of insufficient rain in 2014. IMD said it would update its forecast in June and again in July.