The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) remains hopeful of monsoon revival even as the truant showers have meant an average 43 per cent deficient rainfall this season with around 90% of the country getting deficient or scanty rainfall.
IMD was hopeful of the monsoon's revival in July but numbers do not paint a great picture so far as regions in north-western and central India have received 48 per cent and over 60 per cent deficient monsoon rainfall respectively.
As per IMD, parts of eastern Indian, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka have received good rainfall but the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi have received scanty rainfall.
"Monsoon is expected to improve and revive in central and northwest Indian after July 11... The monsoon has an active and weak cycle. The progress of monsoon over north India has been weak," said a senior IMD official.
IMD has been briefing senior officials in the NDA government including the Cabinet Secretariat regarding the monsoon's progress. The government has claimed that it is ready with contingency plans to handle deficient monsoon impact. Several high-level meetings have taken place including one by PM Narendra Modi to asses and review the progress of the monsoon and its impact on the Indian economy.
Agriculturist Devinder Sharma struck a note of caution. "We are just going step by step as far as the monsoon season is concerned. If the monsoon doesn't revive as expected in the next 15 days, then we are clearly staring at a deficient season. If that happens, the government will press ahead with its contingency plans," said Sharma.
Earlier in the day, concerns over weak monsoon were raised in the Parliament where political leaders asked the government to take steps to prevent farmers from suffering. Union science and technology minister Jitendra Singh told the Parliament that deficient rains in June were caused by delayed arrival of monsoon over Kerala and slow progress subsequently while covering the country.
"The formation of cyclone "Nanauk" over the Arabian Sea in the second week of June has disturbed the monsoon advancement and hence delayed the arrival of monsoon to central and north India, thus causing deficient monsoon rains in June," said Singh.
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