Delayed rains bring water shortages to cities and uncertainty to farms across India
India’s weather office forecasts rainfall at 90% of average, and officials have set up monitoring cells as 111 districts face the highest risk.
- The India Meteorological Department is forecasting below-normal monsoon rainfall at 90% of the long-period average, as a strong El Nino delays the critical June-September season.
- El Nino occurs when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, altering rainfall patterns globally. Climate change is making the system more variable and complex, intensifying agricultural risks across India.
- Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reported rainfall has been 43% below normal so far, prompting Mumbai to restrict water supplies to swimming pools and construction sites. The city has only 40 days of water reserves remaining.
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare has identified 111 districts with irrigation coverage of 25% or less as high-priority areas requiring intervention. An El Nino Monitoring Cell and Crop Weather Watch Group are tracking conditions.
- Harish Damodaran, national rural affairs and agriculture editor at The Indian Express, warned the real crisis lies ahead in the winter crop season, where a warmer, shorter winter could hurt yields, farm incomes and food prices after September.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Delayed monsoon squeezes Mumbai water supply, stalls sowing in farm belts
New Delhi: India’s delayed and below-average monsoon has pushed Mumbai into water restrictions and forced farmers in northern and central states to delay sowing, turning a late weather onset into a widening public-service and agriculture concern. Mumbai received monsoon rain earlier this week, roughly two weeks later than normal, but forecasters said the rainfall was not enough to refill depleted reservoirs. The local government stopped municipa…
India Strengthens Contingency Plans Amid Monsoon Season Challenges
India is bracing for potential challenges as a weaker-than-expected monsoon season threatens agricultural output and water resources across the country. With forecasts indicating below-average rainfall, authorities have begun formulating contingency plans to mitigate the impact on millions of farmers and ensure food security. This development raises concerns about economic stability and rural livelihoods in the world’s second-most populous natio…
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