Lull in Himachal monsoon

The southwest monsoon will remain dormant in Himachal Pradesh in the coming week with temperature expected to remain high, a weather official said here Sunday.

"Except one or two places, not much rain has been recorded in the state since Saturday," an official of the meteorological department told IANS.

He said the monsoon, which reached the state July 1, has remained largely inactive in the past four days.

The weather bureau said the tourist towns of Shimla, Kufri, Narkanda, Kalpa, Palampur and Manali saw no rain in the past 24 hours.

But tourist resorts Dharamsala in Kangra district and Dalhousie in Chamba district received 97 mm and 32 mm of rain respectively.

The Met Office predicts largely dry weather in the state till July 10.

Officials of the agriculture department said the erratic rainfall may hit crops, particularly in low and mid hills.

Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in the state, providing direct employment to 69 percent of its workforce.

More than 80 percent horticultural and agricultural activities here are rainfed.

--Indo-Asian news Service

vg/rr/vt