India braces for weak monsoon as rainfall deficit threatens crops
Al Jazeera Staff
India is bracing for a weak monsoon, with rainfall 43% below average, threatening crops and the $4 trillion economy. The government is prioritizing water conservation as climate change and a potential super El Niño worsen the outlook.
India is preparing for a weaker-than-normal monsoon season and the potential impacts on crop production in the world's most populous nation.
This year's monsoon has delivered 43% less rainfall than average, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting continued weakness in the week ending July 2, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Tuesday.
The monsoon provides about 70% of India's annual rainfall and is crucial for replenishing water supplies in a country of at least 1.4 billion people, where nearly half of farmland lacks irrigation and about half the population depends on agriculture.
Rain typically arrives in Kerala, southwest India, on June 1 and gradually spreads northward. It is vital to the nation's economic health, enabling farmers to plant cotton, soybeans, sugarcane, rice and corn.
This year, monsoon rains arrived in Kerala three days late, raising concerns about the impact on India's $4 trillion economy.
Climate change is altering weather patterns and raising average temperatures in India, while this year's El Niño has brought warnings of below-normal rainfall.
Mumbai experienced significant relief Tuesday as early monsoon rains finally arrived after weeks of scorching heat, delighting many of the megacity's 22 million residents, though some suburbs received only light rain.
"The Southwest Monsoon has advanced further into remaining parts of the central Arabian Sea and parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai," the Met Department said.
Mumbai authorities imposed water-use restrictions last week, limiting supply for swimming pools and construction sites.
Many residents slept on beaches to escape oppressive nighttime heat in a densely populated city where many live without air conditioning.
Minister Chouhan said water conservation must be the top priority due to this year's climate concerns.
"Every drop is precious and plans are being made with that in mind," he said, adding that this includes immediate repair and reinforcement of reservoirs, ponds, streams and dams.
Concerns about crops, food prices and economic growth intensified last month when the Met Department warned that a weak monsoon due to El Niño in 2026 could bring the driest season the country has experienced in 11 years.
Australia's weather bureau warned earlier this month that an El Niño pattern had formed in the tropical Pacific and could strengthen in the second half of the year to become one of the strongest in seven decades.
