Six Maharashtra districts still await rainfall for sowing crops: IMD data

Nearly a month into the monsoon and just four days before the usual sowing window for kharif crops runs out on July 15, six districts across Maharashtra’s Khandesh and western Vidarbha region are showing what experts have called a “significant deficit” in seasonal rainfall

Nearly a month into the monsoon and just four days before the usual sowing window for kharif crops runs out on July 15, six districts across Maharashtra’s Khandesh and western Vidarbha region are showing what experts have called a “significant deficit” in seasonal rainfall. These include Nandurbar, Dhule, Nashik, Jalgaon, Buldhana and Akola where impending showers may bring some relief in the next week.

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Across this belt where the primary cash crops include cotton, wheat and corn, Nandurbar and Akola show the highest seasonal deficit at -57% and -50% respectively, followed by Dhule at -46%, Nashik -37%, Jalgaon -29% and Buldhana -24%. This is based on rainfall data from June 1 to July 11, according to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) hydromet division in New Delhi.

“Even if the situation in these districts improves over the next week, an entire month has gone by with little rains which is likely to impact agricultural productivity, given how important June and July monsoon is for kharif crops. The deficits are significant and indicate an emerging meteorological drought. The specific districts may not yet be facing hydrological, agricultural or socio-economic drought, but the trend certainly warrants attention from officials and policymakers,” said Akshay Deoras, an independent meteorologist and PhD candidate at the University of Reading.

IMD officials, on the other hand, were not alarmed by the trend and seemed confident that the expected spell of heavy rains from Monday will make up for the deficit in these districts. Dr Jayanta Sarkar, head of IMD’s regional meteorological centre in Mumbai, said all four meteorological subdivisions in the state have so far recorded normal or excess rains, despite erratic frequency of the monsoon.

“The more spatial detail you go into, the more variations you will find. Some places will show deficit while others show excess. I cannot comment on the outlook for agriculture, but meteorologically speaking, there is still time for the seasonal average rainfall to be made up. Besides, in terms of meteorological subdivisions, all of Maharashtra has recorded normal to excess rainfall,” Sarkar said.

Dr Kripan Ghosh, head of agricultural meteorology division at IMD Pune, said, “There are still a few days to go before the sowing window runs out for regular kharif crops. However, as good rains are expected during next week, farmers should be able to undertake sowing in unsown areas in most parts of Maharashtra. It is still too early to make any speculations on how crops may be affected.”