Raining doubt: Deficit in agri-producing areas clouds rosy monsoon picture

The last few days have seen a monsoon revival of sorts in parts of the country

Till late August, 233 of India’s 630 districts — a little over a third —reported deficient rains. Overall, the south-west monsoon, which still exercises a major influence over the fortunes of the Indian economy, was around 5 per cent less than normal, in spite of floods in Assam. Is the country headed for a deficient monsoon?

As we head into September, the last month of the four-month rainy season, this is the question that everyone is asking — from economic planners to executives of consumer goods companies.

Private weather forecasting services think the cumulative deficit will continue to be five to seven