Drought threat rises as rain forecast worsens

NEW DELHI: Though the government is still chary of pronouncing a full-scale crisis over the errant monsoon and depleted sowing, prospects of more parts of the country being declared drought-affected are increasing with the Met department on Monday downgrading its rainfall forecast from 93% of long-term average to 87%.

This is the first time the Met has revised its forecast in many years. The monsoon has become more erratic in the first week of August while only southern Karnataka, Gujarat and Orissa have received rains in excess of the long-term average between June 1 and August 5.

The monsoon has dried up in the north-west region. Even in the east, it is not doing well with Bihar on Monday announcing that 26 districts are now in the rain-deprived category.

Just ahead of the weekend, the government indicated there was still a 10-day window for crops in rain deficient areas but now four have lapsed.

As per current forecasts, the only patches that could see some rain in the next 48 hours are West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, east Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Vidharba region of Maharashtra may also receive some rains.