Monsoon surplus continues in India with record 101% of normal rainfall

New Delhi [India], August 19 (ANI): India's cumulative rainfall remains in surplus this monsoon season, standing at 101 per cent of the long-period average (LPA), a notch higher than last week's 100 per cent, according to a report by ICICI Bank Global Markets.

The distribution of rainfall, however, remains uneven across the country. Northwest India leads with a 13 per cent surplus, followed by southern India at 8 per cent above LPA and central India at 4 per cent above LPA. In contrast, the east and northeast region lags behind, reporting an 18 per cent deficit. Out of the 36 meteorological subdivisions, 8 have received excess rainfall, 23 reported normal rainfall, and four remain in the deficient category.

On a weekly basis, rainfall was 9.5 per cent higher than the same period last year. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast good rainfall in the coming week, including in the east and northeast regions, which have so far remained below normal.

From a state-level perspective, Rajasthan (40 per cent above LPA) and Madhya Pradesh (23 per cent above LPA) are among the highest gainers. Karnataka and Telangana recorded 14 per cent above LPA, while Haryana stood at 13 per cent above LPA. Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal also received slightly above normal rains. Gujarat matched its LPA at 0 per cent. On the other hand, states like Maharashtra (1 per cent below LPA), Chhattisgarh (3 per cent below LPA), Punjab (5 per cent below LPA), and Bihar (25 per cent below LPA) have been struggling with shortfalls.

As per the report, reservoir levels across the country are also showing healthy trends. As of August 14, the live storage in 150 key reservoirs stood at 135.3 billion cubic meters, which is 74.1 per cent of total capacity. This is 9 per cent higher than the same time last year.

Regionally, the southern states have the highest storage at 80 per cent, followed by the western and northern regions at 76 per cent each, central at 74 per cent, and eastern at 55 per cent. Notably, the Cauvery River basin has recorded the highest storage at 98 per cent of its capacity, while the Ganga basin stands at 72 per cent.

With the IMD projecting rainfall at 106 per cent of LPA for the second half of the season, the outlook for agriculture and water storage remains positive. However, some regions continue to wait for deficit gaps to be bridged. (ANI)

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