Monsoon to be near normal: Met

The monsoon has now reached Ratnagiri over the country’s west coast. “This year’s monsoon will be 96 per cent normal, with an error margin of 5 per cent,” Indian Meteorological Department director B P Yadav said.

After the onset of the monsoon over Kerala, there was no further surge in the Bay of Bengal. After a hiatus of about a week, the monsoon advanced along the west coast and reached up to Ratnagiri in Maharashtra on June 7, where it will stay for a week.
This prediction of a week’s delay has reduced the euphoria due to the early onset of monsoon over Kerala and Andamans on May 23.

Consequently, the advance of the monsoon over the east, north peninsular and adjoining central India will also be delayed. The static rainfall has affected the sowing activities that usually begin in June and end in July. But, agriculture experts are positive about the prediction of a near-normal monsoon.

“If they are saying the monsoon is going to be 96 per cent, it will be really good. Even if it is 90 per cent then we can hope to achieve 4 per cent growth rate. It will be good for the rice and pulses industry,” M J Khan, director of the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development, said. The money that is pumped into the central agricultural and rural development schemes would reap full benefits this year. “It will also mean that we will achieve the target for food security. In fact, we will have adequate food security earlier than the target deadline,” Khan explained.

Kerala worried

When the monsoon arrived in Kerala almost a week in advance on May 23, there was indeed speculation that it could herald a below normal rainfall this year. The fears seem to be coming true as the state has recorded a nine per cent deficit rainfall in the week that ended on June 9.
DH News Service