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Two different colors of weather are being seen across the country. On one hand, while the south-west monsoon has become fully active in Bihar and Maharashtra and there are heavy rains in many areas, on the other hand, people of North India and Delhi-NCR are waiting amidst the sultry heat to know when the monsoon will knock in their places. Meanwhile, the increasing impact of El Nino has increased the concern of the government and farmers. About 315 districts of the country are expected to receive less than normal rainfall this year, due to which the Central Government has formed a special monitoring cell to save the Kharif crops.
Strength of monsoon in Bihar and wait for North India
The south-west monsoon has now fully spread over Bihar, due to which heavy rains are continuing in most parts of the state. According to the Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon had entered parts of Bihar on June 11 and by June 12, it covered the entire state. In view of this activity of monsoon in Eastern India, the Meteorological Department has issued a warning of heavy rain in many districts of Bihar even today. Amidst this good rain in Bihar, now the question in the minds of lakhs of people of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh is that when will the monsoon reach their places.
Fast pace of monsoon in many states of the country
Monsoon has made rapid progress in many other parts of the country within the last few days. Due to the strengthening of the weather system, the monsoon has advanced into the remaining areas of Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. This weather system has now reached the financial capital Mumbai also. The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rain in the western coast as well as in the states of eastern and north-eastern India. Along with this, there is a possibility of very heavy rain in Konkan, Goa, Coastal Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.
When will monsoon enter Delhi-NCR?
The news of relief for the people troubled by the scorching heat and humidity in Delhi-NCR is that according to the Meteorological Department, monsoon is expected to reach the capital by June 27. Generally, the official date of onset of monsoon in Delhi is considered to be 27th June. However, this year in the middle of June, the pace of monsoon slowed down for about two weeks, due to which some meteorologists estimate that the entry of monsoon in Delhi may drag till the first week of July. Despite this, officially the Meteorological Department has not yet made any change in its scheduled date.
Heavy disaster in Mumbai overnight, red alert issued in Palghar
Talking about Maharashtra, torrential rains are continuing in Mumbai and its surrounding areas since overnight. In view of the continuous heavy rains, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued a ‘red alert’ for Mumbai city, suburbs and Palghar district. Apart from this, ‘Orange Alert’ has been issued for Thane district and ‘Yellow Alert’ has been issued for Raigarh, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. There is a possibility of strong winds at a speed of 41 to 61 kilometers per hour and rain with thunder in the coastal areas. Areas adjacent to Mumbai like Kalyan, Dombivali, Karjat and Neral are also receiving heavy rains since night.
Waterlogging in low lying areas, tree fallen in Dadar
Due to heavy rain between 12 am and 6 am in low-lying areas of Mumbai like Dadar and Matunga, a situation of water logging has arisen at many places, due to which people going to office in the morning had to face problems. Due to heavy rains in Dadar area, a big tree was uprooted and fell on the road. However, it is a matter of relief that no one was present there when the tree fell, thus avoiding any loss of life or property. Municipal Corporation teams are busy removing water from the roads and restoring traffic.
Shadow of El Nino on 315 districts, central government alert
On one hand, heavy rains are a problem in some areas, while on the other hand, due to the effect of El Nino, there is a danger of drought-like situation in a large part of the country. According to the Agriculture Ministry, there is a possibility of less than normal rainfall in about 315 districts of the country this season. Out of these districts, 111 districts have been kept in ‘high-priority’ areas, because these areas are completely dependent on rain-fed farming and irrigation facilities are very limited here. El Nino is expected to have the maximum impact on 12 states including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
High-level meeting of Agriculture Minister, instructions for action on the ground
Considering the seriousness of the situation, the Agriculture Ministry has formed a special ‘El Nino Monitoring Cell’ and ‘Crop Weather Watch Group’, which will keep a round-the-clock monitor on the weather and crop condition of the country. The Agriculture Minister himself is holding regular high-level review meetings to assess the changing situation. In a recent review meeting, the Agriculture Minister gave strict instructions to the officials that the preparations should not be limited to paper planning only and should be implemented on the ground on time. He has asked the states to constantly review the district level preparations and make strategies according to the local conditions.
Main support system for the safety of farmers and animals
In this high-level meeting, measures to keep farmers and livestock safe in case of prolonged drought or low rainfall were also discussed in detail. The Central Government has clarified that in case of crisis, schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi will act as the main security cover for the farmers. States have been instructed to provide timely loans, relief materials and other necessary help to the farmers if needed. Along with this, to deal with the possible shortage of fodder, livestock farmers have been advised to create reserve stock of fodder and strengthen the supply chain. Kharif sowing has not yet started on a large scale in states like Madhya Pradesh, due to which rain in the coming days will become very important for the farmers here.
