The monsoon season officially ends on Friday, and with 97 per cent rainfall, it can be classified as a “normal” monsoon.
The monsoon, which comes after two years of drought, was a very erratic one – both geographically and time wise – as The Indian Express reported.
Monsoon rainfall is always inconsistent as some regions receive a bounty while others areas are sparsely covered.
Alternating spells of rain and dry spells can also plague a single area, as Madhya Pradesh faced flooding in August but saw very little rain in the past month. The flood-hit areas of Andhra and Telengana had been dry since the end of July.
The deficit seen from the latter half of August was, therefore, not one that had severe implications. Agriculture Ministry data shows that the area under kharif cultivation has gone up by 8 lakh hectares since last year to 1,060.81 lakh hectares.
The deficient rainfall is being attributed to the lack of La Nina in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that helps the advent of the Indian monsoon.
The 91 major reservoirs of the country have received a huge boost and are full to about 74 per cent of their capacity.
Their levels are slightly less than what is expected at this time of year but still much better than last year.
Source: The Indian Express
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