Effect of Climate Change? India suffers driest June in last five years!
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New Delhi, Jul 1: Monsoon is finally here. Taking heatwave away and showering happiness, most awaited Monsoon finally hit the country. But there are many observations about monsoon are disturbing this year. As per IMD’s latest report, India had witnessed its driest June in the last 5 years due to a delay of monsoon showers.
This delay of Monsoon raised fears for crops and the broader economy.
As per the data of IMD, Overall, rains were a third below average, although, in some states, including the sugar cane growing northern state of Uttar Pradesh, they were as much as 61% down. Over half of the country's arable land relies on rainfall, while agriculture makes up about 15% of Asia's third-largest economy, which is already suffering a slowdown.
IMD’s data clearly showed, The monsoon usually covers nearly the entire country by July 1 but has covered less than two-thirds so far this year. If rains don’t cover the whole area in the next 2 or 3 weeks, then the country could be on the verge of a crisis in harvests and rural demand.
The country is still recovering from a drought last year that ravaged crops, killed livestock, emptied reservoirs, and drained water supplies to city dwellers and some industries. Rains first arrived in Kerala a week late on June 8, but the developing Cyclone Vayu in the Arabian Sea drew moisture from the monsoon and weakened its progress.
As per the official statement of IMD, Cotton, soybean, and pulses growing western and central parts of India are likely to get good rainfall in the first half of July, but rains could be below average in northern India.
The official statement also added, In the second half of July rainfall in north-western India could improve, but rains in central and western India could be subdued overall, India faces below average rainfall in July but the deficit is likely to be far smaller than June's 33%.
In 2014, we received 42% less rainfall in June and ended the June-Sept monsoon season with rains 12% below average.
The weak start to the monsoon has delayed planting, with farmers sowing crops on 14.7 million hectares as of June 28, down almost 10% on a year earlier A normal, or average, monsoon means rainfall between 96% and 104% of a 50-year average of 89 cm during the four-month monsoon season, according to the IMD's classification.