Page 9 - Monsoon

Diesel sales fall in September amid rains, petrol consumption up in India

Diesel sales in India fell for the second straight month in September as rains dampened demand and slowed industrial activity in some parts of the country, preliminary data of state-owned firms showed. While diesel sales by three state-owned fuel retailers fell year-on-year in the first half of September, petrol sales were up marginally. Consumption of diesel, the most consumed fuel in the country accounting for about two-fifths of the demand, fell 5.8 per cent to 2.72 million tonnes between September 1 and 15, compared to the year-ago period. Consumption had fallen by a similar proportion in the first half of August. Month-on-month sales were up 0.9 per cent, when compared with 2.7 million tonnes of diesel consumed in the first half of August. Diesel sales typically fall in monsoon months as rains lower demand in the agriculture sector which uses the fuel for irrigation, harvesting and transportation. Also, rains slow vehicular movements. Consumption of diesel had soared 6.7 per

Pulses prices stabilise as rains revive over major growing states

Centre tightens stock limit on wheat; says no shortage of sugar stocks

Pulses sowing down 8.58% so far in kharif season due to monsoon deficit

Area sown to pulses remained lower by 8.58 per cent at 119.91 lakh hectares till last week of the ongoing kharif season due to 11 per cent monsoon rain deficit in the country, according to the agriculture ministry data. Sowing of kharif crops begins with the onset of the southwestern summer monsoons that occur from June through September. Paddy is the main kharif crop, besides pulses, oilseeds, cotton and sugarcane. As per the data released by the agriculture ministry, total area sown to paddy remained higher at 403.41 lakh hectares till September 8 of the ongoing kharif season, as against 392.81 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. However in case of pulses, the sowing was lagging and coverage was lower at 119.91 lakh hectares as against 131.17 lakh hectares in the said period a year ago. Pulses acreage was down maximum in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka, and Maharashtra. In Madhya Pradesh, the pulses acreage remained less at 19.72 lakh hectares till September 8 of the on

Himachal's PWD minister directs dept to open all blocked roads by Sept 15

He also said that barring any unusual situation in the disaster-hit parts of the state if the roads are not opened by then the officers concerned will have to face the action

September rains will limit risks to food supplies, says Food Secy Chopra

India, the world's top rice shipper, has now restricted exports of every variety of the staple. It is also selling tomatoes, onions and grains from state reserves to improve local supplies

CEA Nageswaran plays down impact of weakest rains in over a century

"I don't think we should overstate the worry. Sowing in some regions is low but irrigation levels, reservoir levels are good enough to offset that," he said

Monsoon break threatens kharif crop yields; may delay rabi sowing

Standing crop in MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, among others face acute moisture stress

Crop vulnerability grows with fickle rains, shows CRISIL's DRIP index

DRIP scores for these crops are worse than their respective averages in the previous five years

Assam flood situation worsens, over 191,000 people affected in 17 districts

On the other hand, the water levels of several other rivers are also rising. The ASDMA flood report said that a total of 522 villages under 42 revenue circles were affected by the flood

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India on track for lowest monsoon rains in eight years, says report

Weather authorities are expected to announce their September forecast on August 31

Monsoon rains will trigger growth of Rs 8,000 cr sector: NR Group MD

The NR Group, owner of the world's largest incense stick brand Cycle, on Thursday said monsoon rains will trigger the growth of the Rs 8,000-crore sector, though there are some concerns about normal rainfall as of now. "The sector's actual demand is driven in the second and third quarters of the year due to the festive season. With good monsoon, festivals are celebrated in a bigger way and so the demand for incense sticks and puja materials increases. Currently, there is some uncertainty about a normal monsoon, which is a bit worrying for us," Cycle Pure Agarbathi managing director Arjun Ranga told PTI. He was in the city to launch four new products unveiled by brand ambassador and former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly. Ranga said post-Covid, unorganised players have thrived, which is another headwind, albeit temporary, as they will eventually fade away. With the implementation of GST, most of the industry is becoming more organised as unorganised players are being wiped

Climate change fingerprints all over monsoon this year, say experts

Barring the cumulative rainfall over the country, this year's monsoon has been anything but normal and experts point to climate change as the underlying cause. From a cyclone with the longest lifespan in the Arabian Sea to devastating floods in parts of northwest India and the adjoining Himalayan states, as well as a prolonged break in the monsoon, the unmistakable imprints of climate change are evident this year, asserted Mahesh Palawat, vice president (Climate Change and Meteorology) at private forecasting agency Skymet Weather. In early June, cyclone Biparjoy delayed the onset of the monsoon over Kerala and the advance over southern India and the adjoining western and central parts of the country. Meteorologists say the cyclone experienced rapid intensification initially and maintained its strength due to an unusually warm Arabian Sea. They emphasise that cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are intensifying rapidly and retaining their potency for longer perio

CM Sukhu-led Himachal govt allocates Rs 165.22 crore for restoration works

He said that the State Government was working round the clock to ensure safety of life and properties

IMD issues red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in HP for next 2 days

During the past 24 hours, Shimla recorded 190 mm of rain, and during one hour, it recorded 60 mm of rain in the morning, an official said

Water saturation in soil, construction caused Shimla buildings to collapse

Falling in seismic zone IV and highly vulnerable to landslides, Shimla saw over 100 buildings suffering damage or collapsing during recent incessant rains, with experts attributing it to water saturation in soil, construction on drains, seepage and overburdening of hills. Himachal Pradesh received 752.1 mm of rainfall since the onset of Monsoon on June 24 till date against average rainfall of 730 mm during the whole Monsoon season from June to September, according to the Met department. About 46 persons have died in rain-related incidents in Shimla district in the ongoing Monsoon season and the losses in the district have touched Rs 1286 crore, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Aditya Negi said. Over 115 houses and buildings have been damaged. Keeping the safety of people in mind, over 100 endangered buildings including about 50 in Shimla have been vacated, Superintendent of Police, Shimla, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI on Tuesday. Overburdening of hills with construction coupled with ..

10 including 5 forest officials stuck in HP's Mandi, rescue ops underway

As per the Deputy Commissioner of Mandi Arindam Chaudhary, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local administration teams are present on the spot for rescue operations

LIVE: An encounter started in Larrow- Parigam area of Pulwama, says police

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Erratic monsoon may halt tractor stocks' rally in near-term: Analysts

Analysts believe the on-going rally across tractor stocks may face headwinds from spatial distribution of monsoon across the country, which could keep sentiments in check

Uttarakhand rains: Heavy rainfall disrupts normal life, water enters houses

"Efforts are being made by the team to make way for drainage of excessive rainwater with the help of JCB. SDRF is constantly trying to help the affected people," added the officials