Monsoon deficit reduces sharply, down from 41% to 15%

NEW DELHI/PUNE: With another uplifting wet day for most parts of North India which got moderate to heavy rainfall on Saturday much to the relief of farmers and city-dwellers alike, the India Meteorological Department revised the figures for monsoon deficit between July 10-16 to 15 per cent, sharply down from early July's deficit projection of 41 per cent.

More, IMD officials said this active phase of monsoon was likely to continue over many parts of east and central India, Gangetic plains, adjoining foothills and along west coast. Near normal rainfall would occur over northeastern states and west India.

Punjab and Haryana, which received the first monsoon rains of the season on Friday, continued to get moderate to heavy rainfall in most places, bringing cheer to farmers as it is good for paddy, widely grown in the two states. Power and water situation too improved as a result.

BP Yadav, director (national weather forecasting centre), IMD, told TOI that rainfall since a week now has been more than normal in many parts of the country. Formation of several low pressure areas has triggered monsoon activity in many parts.

"Strong monsoon conditions have been observed in many parts including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Vidarbha, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, among others. Such activity will continue and no lull is expected in east and central India as well as Northwest India. In fact another trough will form in the Bay of Bengal by July 20. We therefore can expect, either increase in rainfall intensity or a continuation of the current trend in east and central India," he said.

In the capital, temperatures remained comfortable although humidity increased slightly. The MeT department said the day temperature in Delhi settled at 33.6 degree celsius, normal for this time of the year but up from Friday's 29.9 degree celsius.

Delhi was overcast in the morning with the minimum temperature at an easy 25.4 degrees celsius, one notch below normal. It also recorded around 2.5mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours until 8.30am Saturday, Met officials said.
With continuing rainfall in Uttarakhand and roads to Himalayan shrines blocked by debris from landslips, the Chardham Yatra remained suspended for the fourth straight day.

"We've kept the yatra to Gangotri and Yamunotri suspended complying with the administrative advisory in light of MeT warning. It may resume on Sunday but it would depend on the weather and the condition of roads which are blocked at several places," said Uttarkashi DM Ravishankar.

Officials said central India, which includes Orissa, Madhya Maharashtra, west and east Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Saurashtra, Kutch, Konkan, Goa, Marathwada, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh, received 11 per cent more than its normal share of rainfall from July 10 to 16 as against the deficit it had recorded last week.

The deficit in Pune was 82 per cent till July 9, but the moderate showers the city has been receiving over the last few days filled in the deficit considerably as it now stands at -51 per cent. Maharashtra as a whole recorded rainfall 21 per cent above the LPA for the period from July 10 till 16, as the actual rainfall here during this period was 90.4mm, though the normal is 75mm.