India’s monsoon rains, vital to the trillion-dollar economy’s farm output and economic growth, were 9.4 per cent below normal for June 1-22, the Met office said on Wednesday.
Countrywide rainfall was 93.2 mm between June 1 and June 22 against the normal 102.9mm, the India meteorological department said in its latest update.
Rainfall was five per cent below normal between June 1 to June 16. Such weak phases are not unusual, say weather experts.
The government, however, said it did not expect a drought like situation this year and it was well equipped if climatic changes affected agriculture production.
Minister of state for agriculture, Mr K.V. Thomas, said his ministry had been told that southern India has got 96 per cent rainfall and central India 75 per cent, which he claimed was good for the kharif crops.
“No need to panic. Monsoon normally arrive in central India at the end of June. We don’t expect a drought-like situation this year,” Mr Thomas said.
Weather officials too said they expected themonsoon in central India to resume in the next two to three days after a pause for a couple of days. “We are awaiting a system to build up over north of the Bay of Bengal to reactivate wind flow over central India,” an official said.
Policymakers are hoping good rains will help rein in inflation, currently at more than 10 per cent, and provide room to ease curbs on rice and wheat exports.
— Reuters, IANS