Now Reading: Monsoon deficit stays at 11% despite recent rains across India
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Monsoon deficit stays at 11% despite recent rains across India
India's cumulative monsoon rainfall deficit stands at 11% as of August 9, down just one percentage point from a week earlier, despite good rains over Delhi, Haryana and east Rajasthan. The India…
The Story in Brief
India's cumulative monsoon rainfall deficit stands at 11% as of August 9, down just one percentage point from a week earlier, despite good rains over Delhi, Haryana and east Rajasthan. The India Meteorological Department has forecast increased rainfall over Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar from August 13, potentially reviving paddy and maize sowing.
Kharif sowing has reached 88% of the normal area, with total coverage at 96.8 million hectares as of August 7, down 1.8% from last year. Paddy acreage is 34.4 million hectares, 4.2% lower than last year. However, oilseeds sowing has improved marginally, and The Hindu Business Line notes that pulses deficit has narrowed sharply from 6.3% to 1.8% week-on-week. Twelve states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and Punjab, continue to report high rain deficits.
The Indian Opinion
The usual seasonal narrative pitting 'good rains' against 'deficient monsoon' misses the real story: India's rain problem is now a regional one. Central India is fine, but Bihar, Jharkhand and UP are still parched. Paddy sowing remains 4% below last year, and 12 states report 20%-plus deficits. The question before the next sowing season is not whether the monsoon overall is 'normal', but whether the government will shift from counting national averages to fixing state-level water storage and drought-proofing before the kharif window closes.
Sources (3): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, thehindubusinessline.com, livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
