IMD plays down drought fears; water levels dip in Maharashtra's reservoirs

The progress of the southwest monsoon has been rather sluggish due to the impact of Cyclone Vayu

The southwest monsoon is well on course to cover large parts of the country in the next few weeks. This should wipe away fears of widespread drought this year because El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are still supportive of the rains, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

However, water levels in reservoirs did not paint a flushed picture and, in fact, dipped further in Maharashtra, while remaining below normal in Andhra Pradesh.

“I cannot understand why there is fear of drought when the monsoons have not even covered the entire country. Just 10 days of