Dry August may drag monsoon to weakest in 8 years

THE COUNTRY MAY be heading for its weakest monsoon in eight years after the driest August in nearly a century and a quarter, according to an assessment by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

- SANDIP DAS

IMD officials estimate the rainfall this year to be around 90% of the Long Period Average (LPA). They attribute the shortfall to the El Nino factor, which impacted the rains in August and could continue to do so in September.

Although kharif sowing has been largely completed, and the area covered thus far is marginally above the year-ago level, the current dry spell could hit crop yields. Pulses and oilseeds are seen to be more vulnerable to the rain deficit, as these crops are approaching the flowering stage.

According to the Met department, until Monday, the overall monsoon rains have been at 92% of the LPA. With the exception of northwest India, where precipitation so far is 6% above the benchmark, the rains have been deficient in the rest of the regions - central India (-7%), east and northeast (-15%) and south peninsula (-17%) respectively. In 2015, the rainfall was 86% of the LPA while in 2018 precipitation was 91% of the LPA.

So far this month, rains have been 32% below the LPA.