Return journey of monsoon
28-Sep-2024 12:23 PM
As per the revised date, the South-West monsoon should have departed from Far Western Rajasthan and Kutch division of Gujarat on 17th September but it departed from there after six days i.e. on 23rd September. Now, in the course of its return journey,
it is moving ahead while causing heavy rains in many states. States like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Karnataka received torrential rains yesterday while the monsoon remains very active in Bihar.
It is worth noting that before this rain, Bihar had received about 28% less rainfall than the normal average but now it will decrease to a great extent. This rain is expected to benefit the paddy crop there.
Rains are also occurring in the southern and central parts of the country but it is not considered beneficial for pulses and oilseeds crops. Although the low pressure area above the surface has now weakened, a new round of rain is still going on in these areas.
There is a possibility of damage to the early sown crops of pulses and oilseeds due to this rain because water logging in the fields for a long time proves fatal for these crops.
The Meteorological Department has estimated 106 percent rainfall at the national level this time as compared to the long-term average, which seems to be true.
Due to abundant monsoon rains, better Kharif production is expected, but surplus rainfall in some areas remains a cause of concern.
The season of harvesting and preparation of Kharif crops has almost started and at such a time, the rain of the returning monsoon is not auspicious for the agriculture sector.
Sufficient amount of moisture is already present in the soil of the fields, which will help in sowing of Rabi crops, but if the water remains stagnant for a long time, then farmers may face difficulty in early sowing.
A residual circulation was present over southern Chhattisgarh, which caused rain in the western states.
The low pressure generated over the mid-western Bay of Bengal moved forward and crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast and reached Chhattisgarh. The spell of rain may continue in some states for the next 2-4 days, which needs to be monitored.