The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) today said that while there was a deficiency of rainfall in many parts of the country this year, it was too early to say that whether states across the country were already experiencing drought.
“Conditions (for drought) are developing but let me say that the drought onset there is no uniform definition. Drought is defined after the season ends,” Laxman Singh Rathore, Director General, IMD told reporters today.
Representational image. AFP
The rainfall across the country from August to October will be below normal, he said, adding that given current scenario it looked like the rainfall in the second half of the monsoons would also be below expectations.
The department said they were still checking the deficiency in the rainfall so far but as of now there is a 50 percent deficiency, Rathore said.
When asked about an agricultural drought in the country, he said that the crop deficiency had also to be seen before it could be declared and estimated.
So far less rainfall has been observed in states like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajashtan, the meteorological department said.
The low rainfall was likely to hit the output of core cereals, the IMD said.
