Monsoon woes: 5% rain deficit impacts over one-fourth of country, says IMD

Met dept expects situation to improve during June-Sept period in 2017

More than one-fourth of the country has received deficient rainfall this monsoon, which is halfway through, but the IMD is hopeful of the situation improving in the remaining period.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there is five per cent overall shortfall in rains across the country, but the deficiency is more in 26 per cent of the country's land mass.

The rainfall deficiency is more in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and western Uttar Pradesh, it said.

IMD has projected "normal" southwest monsoon in 2017, which is from June to September.

"The coastal, north and south interior Karnataka have been receiving good rainfall since the last two days. Rainfall has also begun in Marathwada and Madhya Pradesh. We are hoping the situation will improve," IMD Director General K J Ramesh said.

Last week, the Met Department had said the second half of the monsoon season is likely to be 100 per cent of the Long Period Average. The rainfall during August is likely to be 99 per cent.

Noting that monsoon is reviving, Secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences Madhavan Rajveevan tweeted, "Good rains over central India including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat in the next 2 weeks."

He also noted that "rain deficit regions (are) likely to recover" but cautioned about "chance of floods" in some parts.

Sowing of kharif (summer) crops has been affected in states with deficit rains, though overall sowing area across the country remains higher at 976.34 lakh hectare till last week of the season as against 984.57 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, as per the Agriculture Ministry's data.

Among the states with deficit rains, IMD said that north and south interior Karnataka have both recorded rainfall deficiency in range of 20-25 per cent so far.

There has been 32 per cent rainfall deficit so far recorded in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra, which had reported farmer suicides over the last few years.

Even east and west Madhya Pradesh have recorded a deficiency of 23 per cent. Parts of Kerala recorded deficient rainfall for a second consecutive year.

However, some states especially east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and Gujarat have witnessed floods.