After a long lull, the monsoon has resumed its progress and advanced into Gujarat and is poised to enter north India this week.
“The southwest monsoon has advanced into parts of the northern Arabian Sea, Saurashtra, and other parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra,” the Indian Meteorological Department said in a statement on Sunday.
Parts of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chattisgarh and West Bengal were also likely to get monsoon rains over the week and “… the advance of southwest monsoon was likely over parts of northwest India, including Delhi, during 29th June to 1st July,” the statement said.
“South Gujarat districts like Valsad, Navasari, Surat and other parts received good rainfall. In central Gujarat, places like Dahod and Godhara also witnessed heavy showers,” a Gujarat government release stated.
Ahmedabad also witnessed thunderstorm and heavy showers on Sunday morning. So far, three persons have died due to lightning and rain-related incidents in the State.
With the monsoon stalled over the Konkan coast since June 12, kharif crop sowing had also slowed. About 12 lakh fewer hectares have been planted than at the same time last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The biggest lags were seen in rain-fed crops such as pulses and oilseeds.
Ideally, the branch of the monsoon system that entered from Kerala and moved northwards should have reached Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh by June 15, but this was stalled due to what meteorologists called, the lack of favourable low pressure regions in the Arabian sea.
10% deficit
Because of the monsoon’s hiatus, India has received 10% less monsoon rain than what it should have in the first 24 days of June.
Of the four meteorological divisions of the country, only the southern peninsula has recorded 29% more rains. The rainfall deficit was 29% and 24% in east-northeast and northwest India respectively.
(With inputs from PTI)
