21.8.15

Monsoon watch


Sub-par rainfall across India for more than two weeks has pushed the monsoon deficit to 10% below normal, increasing worries of a second successive drought year in the country .
Average all-India rainfall was 5% below normal on August 1 but the deficit doubled by Independence Day .August so far has seen 17% below-normal rain. A shortfall of 10% or more for the entire monsoon season (June to September) is considered a drought year.
Agriculturally, however, the situation is better than last year, when the monsoon ended with a 12% deficit, because of plentiful rains in June and a few good spells since then.
This is reflected in the sown area figures for the kharif crop, which was estimated to be 890 lakh hectares as on August 14, some 27 lakh hectares more than the corresponding figure last year. But concern for standing crops has been growing.

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