 "Vehicles move slowly through waterlogged streets during heavy monsoon rain, in Mumbai. BS photo by Kamlesh Pednekar")
A sharp improvement in rainfall since end-June has narrowed the shortfall from 33 per cent to only 12 per cent. It has also improved the water levels in 91-odd reservoirs across the country, especially in Maharashtra.
However, the rainfall deficiency could widen again as the monsoon is expected to go for a break in central and western parts of the country over the next few weeks. It will gain strength again in July end. Sowing of kharif crops, too, has improved and the total acreage covered so far (till July 12) was 41.33 million hectares, which is 8.61 per cent
