 "Monsoon deficit down to 15% during July 10-16")
The sharp revival in the southwest monsoon, especially in central and western parts of the country, narrowed the weekly deficit in rains to 15 per cent below normal between July 10 and July 16, making it the best week in the entire June-to-September season so far.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall between July 10 and 16 was 56.2 mm, compared with a normal of 66.2 mm.
The revival also pulled down the overall deficit (between June 1 and July 18) to 314 per cent, against 40 per cent during the previous week, according to PTI report. The government on Sunday said there is "no reason to be unnecessarily alarmist", added the report. "The monsoon deficit has come down by 12 per cent and the overall deficit stands at around 31 per cent. This will bring in much needed relief to the farmers and solve the water issues," said Laxman Singh Rathore, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
A government release quoted the Minister of State for Earth Science Jitendra Singh as saying that there has been significant increase in the monsoon during the last one week beginning from 13th July, and the seven days between last Sunday and this Sunday have recorded 11 percent increase in the monsoon country-wide.
"The weekly rainfall for the country as a whole is 15 per cent below normal as against 41 per cent in the last week. Central India and south Peninsula received normal to excess rainfall," IMD said in its weekly analysis.
In southern India, rainfall during the same period was 32 per cent more than normal.
"Of 36 meteorological subdivisions, rainfall has been excess over nine, normal over six, deficient over five, and scanty over 16 sub-divisions," said the met office.
"Monsoon till end-July could be just 25 per cent below normal if the current trend continues, which would wipe off much of drought-related woes," former Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen recently said.
The uptick in rainfall is also expected to give a strong fillip to sowing of kharif crops, mainly in the belts, which did not receive adequate showers till end-June.
Data from the agriculture department shows that till Friday, kharif crops have been sown in 34.56 million hectares, about 45 per cent less than the area covered during the same period last year.
Till last week, the difference between 2013 and 2014 was almost 50 per cent, which shows the pick-up in planting.
Rains have also improved the water levels in major reservoirs across the country, particularly those located in central and northern parts, and the levels rose to 26 per cent of their full capacity during the week ended July 18, compared with 24 per cent in the previous week.
Between July 18 and 24, the met department said the monsoon is likely to continue in an active phase, especially over many parts of east and central India, Gangetic plains and adjoining foothills and along the west coast. Near-normal rainfall would occur over north-eastern states and west India, it added.
The IMD in its second-stage forecast had said the rains in 2014 monsoon season would be around 93 per cent of the long period average (LPA), which is the average of 50 years starting from 1951. This was lower than the 95 per cent LPA forecast by it in April.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall between July 10 and 16 was 56.2 mm, compared with a normal of 66.2 mm.
The revival also pulled down the overall deficit (between June 1 and July 18) to 314 per cent, against 40 per cent during the previous week, according to PTI report. The government on Sunday said there is "no reason to be unnecessarily alarmist", added the report. "The monsoon deficit has come down by 12 per cent and the overall deficit stands at around 31 per cent. This will bring in much needed relief to the farmers and solve the water issues," said Laxman Singh Rathore, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
A government release quoted the Minister of State for Earth Science Jitendra Singh as saying that there has been significant increase in the monsoon during the last one week beginning from 13th July, and the seven days between last Sunday and this Sunday have recorded 11 percent increase in the monsoon country-wide.
"The weekly rainfall for the country as a whole is 15 per cent below normal as against 41 per cent in the last week. Central India and south Peninsula received normal to excess rainfall," IMD said in its weekly analysis.
In southern India, rainfall during the same period was 32 per cent more than normal.
"Of 36 meteorological subdivisions, rainfall has been excess over nine, normal over six, deficient over five, and scanty over 16 sub-divisions," said the met office.
"Monsoon till end-July could be just 25 per cent below normal if the current trend continues, which would wipe off much of drought-related woes," former Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen recently said.
The uptick in rainfall is also expected to give a strong fillip to sowing of kharif crops, mainly in the belts, which did not receive adequate showers till end-June.
Data from the agriculture department shows that till Friday, kharif crops have been sown in 34.56 million hectares, about 45 per cent less than the area covered during the same period last year.
Till last week, the difference between 2013 and 2014 was almost 50 per cent, which shows the pick-up in planting.
Rains have also improved the water levels in major reservoirs across the country, particularly those located in central and northern parts, and the levels rose to 26 per cent of their full capacity during the week ended July 18, compared with 24 per cent in the previous week.
Between July 18 and 24, the met department said the monsoon is likely to continue in an active phase, especially over many parts of east and central India, Gangetic plains and adjoining foothills and along the west coast. Near-normal rainfall would occur over north-eastern states and west India, it added.
The IMD in its second-stage forecast had said the rains in 2014 monsoon season would be around 93 per cent of the long period average (LPA), which is the average of 50 years starting from 1951. This was lower than the 95 per cent LPA forecast by it in April.