Delayed monsoon posing serious problem: Pawar
July 10th, 2009 - 8:21 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Admitting that the delayed monsoon was posing a serious problem, the government Friday hoped the situation would “improve soon”.
“The problem is serious,” Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said during question hour in the Rajya Sabha, adding: “I hope the situation will improve soon.”
Pawar said the worst affected states were Punjab, Haryana, western UP and Himachal Pradesh.
“The government is implementing a contingency plan to provide seeds and fertilisers to the states where seeds are sown before the monsoon sets in as this process would have to be gone through once again,” Pawar said.
According to the latest estimates of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cumulative seasonal rainfall during this year’s monsoon has so far been 43 percent below the long-term average.
Out of 36 meteorological sub-divisions, rainfall was excess or normal in seven and deficient or scanty in 29 meteorological sub-divisions.
The IMD has announced the monsoon in the country to be “below normal” this year.
India receives 75 percent of its annual rainfall during the southwest monsoon, between June and September. Thus, this period is crucial for India’s food production, as 60 percent of the country’s farms depend on rain.
- Monsoon subdued over country during last week: Met office - Aug 13, 2010
- Delayed monsoon causing serious problem in north India: Pawar (Lead) - Jul 10, 2009
- Monsoon rainfall deficient by 25 percent so far - Aug 07, 2009
- PMO monitoring monsoon shortfall in north India: Minister - Jul 10, 2009
- India's northeast records 38 percent deficit rainfall - Aug 03, 2011
- India sees 21 percent monsoon deficit - Sep 18, 2009
- Monsoon activity increases, deficient by 14 percent: IMD - Jul 19, 2010
- Monsoon deficit drops to 20 percent in India - Sep 11, 2009
- Erratic monsoon likely to affect farm production - Jul 09, 2009
- India's monsoon deficit increases to 22 percent - Sep 25, 2009
- Monsoon likely to be below normal - Jun 21, 2011
- Monsoon to be normal this year: Weather office (Lead) - Jul 30, 2010
- India's monsoon likely to be normal: Deshmukh (Lead) - Apr 26, 2012
- Below normal monsoon likely this year (Lead) - Jun 21, 2011
- Pawar warns of draught like situation in North India - Jul 10, 2009
Tags: agriculture minister, annual rainfall, contingency plan, estimates, fertilisers, food production, himachal pradesh, india meteorological department, india meteorological department imd, New Delhi, rain, rajya sabha, seasonal rainfall, seeds, sharad pawar, southwest monsoon