With just five days left for monsoon to hit land mass in south and if weathermen are to believed this year’s monsoon should be above -normal which reinforces common man’s dependence on rain for agriculture and relieve from long power cuts and the sweltering heat the north is experiencing for the last two weeks. The forecast has saved the country from declaring 2016 as another drought year. The situation is critical no doubt with most of water sources in central and western part of the country nearing their exhaustible limit. The only region where rains are likely to be slightly subdued is east and northeast India slated to get 94 per cent rainfall whereas in all the regions of the country it is expected to be above normal. The arrival of monsoon has also triggered activities in fields with farmers going for paddy transplant much ahead of the schedule. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD’s) June update is generally more accurate than its first long range forecast of the monsoon released in April. It’s also more detailed, with region and month-wise predictions. In what should bring cheer to regions reeling under drought, IMD predicted vigorous rains in central India at 113 per cent of the long term average and a healthy 108 per cent in the agriculturally important north. South India too is expected to get a bountiful monsoon with rains pegged at 113 per cent of average. Monsoon is likely to arrive in the Indian mainland when it hits Kerala coast in the next four-five days, reiterating that the current spells of heavy rains in the state were pre-monsoon showers. A good monsoon, following two years of drought, is expected to boost agriculture growth.
