Monsoon has arrived in Mumbai after a delay of two weeks | Today’s news
NEW DELHI: The southwest monsoon reached Mumbai on Tuesday, almost two weeks later than the usual start date, bringing relief to India’s financial capital after water shortages forced authorities to cut supplies to homes and businesses.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said conditions are favorable for the monsoon to move into Gujarat, remaining parts of Maharashtra, north Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in the next two days and Uttar Pradesh in the next three to four days.
The progress of the monsoon is closely watched as it contributes about 70% of the annual rainfall in the world’s most populous country, where the rural economy relies heavily on agriculture, and contributes significantly to economic growth.
IMD data showed that the advance of the monsoon was slower than usual this year, with 248 of India’s 741 districts reporting deficient rainfall and another 268 experiencing major deficits during June 1-22 due to El Nino conditions.
While light rainfall is not uncommon in June, the IMD’s forecast of seasonal rainfall at 90% of the long-term average has raised concerns about water availability, kharif sowing and reservoir levels heading into the peak monsoon months.
However, some leather experts say that India’s foodgrain yields can withstand around a 10% rainfall deficit. “When India got independence, we had a population of 400 million. Now it is 1.4 billion. With this increase, our food production has increased proportionately,” said Ranjan Kelkar, former director general of IMD.
“Fundamentally, agriculture has become more dependent on the Rabi harvest than the Kharif harvest. Nature has its own standard deviation, so the onset of the monsoon may be delayed. But it is important to understand that it will always occur,” Kelkar said.
The IMD said maximum temperatures in parts of central India could drop by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius by June 24 and then rise again by 2 to 3 degrees. In Maharashtra, temperatures are expected to drop by 3-5 degrees by June 25 and remain close to those levels thereafter.
The heatwaves that scorched northern parts of India in the pre-monsoon months will continue in isolated areas in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh on June 23-24, eastern Uttar Pradesh during June 23-27 and western Maharashtra (Vidarbha region) during June 23-25.
The Vidarbha region is expected to experience moderate to widespread rainfall on June 29, the IMD said, adding that northern areas of Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi are likely to experience rainfall between June 23 and 29. The western disturbance that hit India on June 18 is also likely to contribute to rains in the region, the IMD said.
