Monsoon Deficit Hits 43%, Government Readies Contingency Plans for 315 Districts
India's monsoon rainfall has been 43 per cent below normal so far, prompting the Agriculture Ministry to formulate contingency plans for districts likely to be most affected, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Tuesday.
After chairing a review meeting with state agriculture ministers, senior officials and district collectors, Chouhan said 315 districts across the country are likely to face the brunt of weak monsoon rains. Among these, 111 districts have been identified as 'high priority' because their irrigation coverage is 25 per cent or less. Another 76 districts are of medium priority, with irrigation coverage between 25 and 50 per cent, while 128 districts with better irrigation infrastructure are categorised as low priority.
The affected districts are spread across 12 states: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
Chouhan attributed the weak monsoon to the El Niño phenomenon, which is already causing delays. Weather forecasts indicate that conditions are likely to remain weak during the week starting July 2, he said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted that the country as a whole would receive only 90 per cent of the long-period average rainfall during the monsoon season. However, the situation appears more grim, with June alone showing a deficit of over 42 per cent. Of the 36 states and Union Territories, 26 have a deficiency of 20 per cent or more, and nine have a deficiency exceeding 60 per cent.
The government has set up an 'El Niño Monitoring Cell' and a 'Crop Weather Watch Group' in Delhi to continuously monitor monsoon progress, crop sowing, crop conditions, input supplies and market signals. States have been instructed to set up control rooms and designate nodal officers to coordinate with the Centre. Most states have already appointed nodal officers, and reviews are being conducted weekly, Chouhan said.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) have prepared District Agriculture Contingency Plans (DACP) for all districts. These plans include measures such as alternative crops in case of low rainfall, strategies for crop change, optimal use of available water, and ways to create new income options while reducing risks.
Chouhan noted that the weak monsoon could impact kharif crops, and urged state agriculture ministers and district collectors to intensify local preparations.
