What will cause serious concern, especially for the Agriculture sector, private broadcaster Skymet Weather on Monday said this has been the second driest pre-monsoon season in the last 65 years. The pre-monsoon rain is a phenomenon vital to agriculture in several parts of the country. In 2019, India received just 99 mm of pre-monsoon rainfall as against the average of 131.5 mm.
Northwest India, Central India, East, and Northeast India and South Peninsula recorded deficit rains of 30 per cent, 18 per cent, 14 per cent and 47 per cent respectively.
According to Skymet, this has been the second driest pre-monsoon season in the last 65 years, with the lowest being recorded in 2012 when countrywide cumulative rainfall deficiency had mounted to 31 per cent.
This does not augur well for the country. The agricultural sector still depends a great deal on a healthy rainfall for intended farm output.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has recorded a deficiency of 22 per cent in pre-monsoon rains in the country. Skymet too registered a 22-24 per cent deficit.
Pre-monsoon rainfall is important for horticulture crops in some parts of the country. In States like Odisha, ploughing is done in the pre-monsoon season, while in parts of northeast India and the Western Ghats it is critical for plantation of crops.
IMD said in parts of northeast India and the Western Ghats, pre-monsoon rainfall is critical for plantation crops. “There will be “moisture stress” in case of a deficit. Crops like sugarcane and cotton, planted in central India, survive on irrigation and also require supplement of pre-monsoon rains”, IMD said.