In a press conference on Tuesday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), unveiled a forecast saying the Indian monsoon will see a 6% rise this year, proving to be a respite to drought-hit rural economy -millions of farmers, the industry and a government hobbled by aggravating rural distress.
The four-month precipitation, the country’s main rainy season and the crux of Asia’s third largest economy, will be 106%, said IMD Chief, Laxman Singh Rathore.
According to IMD’s taxonomy, the monsoon is considered normal if it ranges between 96-104% of the past fifty years’ average. If it is 104-110%, it is recognized as above normal.The monsoon this year is predicted to be 6% surplus, though the model used by the meteorological department has an error margin of 5%.
The good news accounts for the dreaded El Nino, that caused the back-to-back droughts of 2014 and 2015, showing signs of subsiding by the time India’s southwest monsoon gathers mist around July and August.
The IMD chief also said: “There is a chance of rainfall in the northeast and part of Tamil Nadu and Rayalaseema being below normal, but given the quantum of rainfall in these parts is more than other areas, the impact would not be much.”
By Isha Kulkarni
Tags: IMD india Indian Meteorological Department monsoon Rainfall
