Monsoon deficit has come in at 22%

With the monsoons season slated to end on September 30, the rains have finally begun to withdraw in many parts of the country, and will do so in the rest of the country over the next few days. They have however, left in their wake, an overall rainfall deficit of 22% and concerns about the Kharif harvest. The maximum deficiency of 34% is seen in the north-west region of India, followed by the north-east with 25%, central India with 19% and the southern peninsula with a deficit of 8%. The only positive was the month of September, which witnessed a fresh spurt in rain that benefited the already standing Kharif crops and also raised hopes about timely sowing of Rabi crops, thus alleviating the adverse effects of the deficit to some extent.