Northeast India receives deficient monsoon rains

Except Mizoram and Sikkim, most parts of northeast India have so far experienced deficient monsoon rains, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

Mizoram and Sikkim recorded average rainfall while the other northeastern states - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura - recorded around 35 per cent deficient rains, said the IMD report.

Until Sunday evening, Manipur recorded 73 per cent deficient rainfall, followed by Meghalaya (58 per cent), Tripura (38 per cent), Nagaland (37 per cent), Assam (25 per cent) and Arunachal Pradesh (12 per cent).

"Among the IMD's four regions, the rainfall deficiency in the eastern and northeastern region of the country has been a whopping 21 per cent," the report added.

The IMD's eastern and northeastern region comprises West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and eight northeastern states. Jharkhand and Bihar recorded 18 per cent deficient rainfall so far while West Bengal recorded four per cent shortfall in rains.

IMD Director Dilip Saha told IANS: "Due to lack of depression and low pressure circulation in the northeastern region, the region has so far recorded scarce rainfall. However, the deficiency would be covered in the remaining part of the monsoon."

In the northeast, the normal monsoon period is June to September and sometimes it continues until October 10, Saha said.

The IMD report said that heavy rain is very likely to occur in most parts of the northeastern region by July 14.

An expert of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said deficient rains would not affect crops in the Northeast as there was good pre-monsoon rainfall recorded in most parts of the region.

"We expect a good and normal rainfall in the remaining period of the monsoon," he added.

According to private weather forecaster Skymet, the northeastern states normally receive heavy rainfall during Monsoon season and its monthly average for many stations is more than 1000 mm.

--IANS

sc/kb/vm