JOIN USThe Indian Meteorological Department on Friday forecast formation of no depression in the Bay of Bengal in the next five to seven days. It is the depression in the head bay which pushes and sustains monsoon rain in the plains.
While the Arabian Sea arm of the monsoon is quite active, development of only low-intensity low pressure zones in the bay is weakening the monsoon in the Bay of Bengal arm.
As a result, rainfall is deficient in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh—states which cultivate vast amount of paddy and oil seeds. As on Thursday, India is 14 per cent deficient from its regular quota of monsoon rain. The shortages are there in all regions except the peninsular India.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, however, said it was too early to be panicked by weak rainfall. “The presentation given to me by the met department is quite encouraging. There would be good rain in July and August, and I am not worried,” Pawar said here on the sidelines of a function.
Pawar said planting of summer crops was progressing well and compared to last year, rice, oilseed, cane, jute and cotton plantings are higher.
But the minister did not say what would happen if the plants in the field do not receive adequate rain in time and whether rain in August can compensate for the weak phase in July.
“Rainfall will continue in different parts though on lesser scale and as such no immediate worry. Last week of July and first week of August will be crucial,” IMD Director-General Ajit Tyagi told Deccan Herald.
But Tyagi refused to speak on the crop health conditions in the absence of four weeks of good rain.
Because of the strong Westerlies and the active Arabian Sea arm of the monsoon, almost the whole of western India is likely to experience widespread rainfall. The entire Himalayan region from the west to east can also witness rainfall activity.
But the weathermen have little hope for the north and central plains where rain is urgently required not only to boost the farm sector but also to bring relief to the citizens suffering from a hot and humid weather.