MC Daily Monsoon Tracker: Sixteen states face normal rainfall conditions

Normal rainfall conditions prevail

India experienced a rainfall deficit of 2 percent for a fifth consecutive day on July 15, with sixteen states experiencing normal rainfall conditions, according to data released by the Indian Meteorological Department.

Twelve states received deficient rainfall and another six faced excess and two experienced large excess rainfall.

India’s rainfall deficit stood at 2.21 percent on July 15, compared with 2.14 percent on the previous day.



A dry spell also led to Chandigarh witnessing over 50 percent rainfall deficit.



In monsoon parlance, a normal is calculated using a long-period average of 30 years for a specific region.

Wholesale inflation inched up to a 16-month high of 3.4 percent in June compared with 2.6 percent in the previous month, on the back of rising food prices. Onion inflation almost doubled to over 90 percent in the month, whereas potato inflation was over 60 percent.

Data released on July 12 showed that consumer inflation increased to 5.1 percent, as food inflation galloped to 9.4 percent in June. High vegetable, pulses and cereals inflation drove food prices in the month. Economists point out that a good monsoon is necessary for food inflation to remain low. A rising inflation can also hurt consumption and consumer goods sector.

Data released on July 7, showed that paddy, pulses and oilseeds experienced over 50 percent higher acreage from similar period in the previous year. Area sown under paddy and pulses was 3.68 million hectares, whereas oilseeds covered 8.03 million hectares.

Sowing under coarse cereals was down a third during this period, whereas sugarcane was up 2.5 percent.

As on July 5, the area sown for Urad has reached 0.54 million hectares, as compared to 0.37 million hectares for corresponding period last year, the consumer affairs ministry said on July 10.

Reservoir levels remained unchanged as of July 11—down 10 percent from normal.

Andhra Pradesh and Bihar continue to face over 60 percent deficit in capacity.



The government is hoping for a revival of its agricultural sector, which recorded 1.4 percent growth in FY24 compared to 4.7 percent in the previous year, also lower than the 3.7 percent long-term average.