The Central government has revealed a special contingency plan due to concerns about a potential El Nino weather phenomenon that may result in a weak monsoon this year. This situation could negatively affect the kharif crop in 315 vulnerable districts across the country. Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, led a high-level virtual meeting with state Agriculture Ministers, officials, and experts to assess the situation nationwide.
Chouhan highlighted that the southwest monsoon is notably delayed this year, with rainfall currently 43% below normal. The India Meteorological Department forecasts continued weak rainfall until July 2, directly impacting kharif crops in rainfed regions heavily reliant on monsoon rains. Approximately 315 districts have been identified as potentially affected by the weak monsoon conditions, with detailed plans in place for each.
The identified districts are categorized based on irrigation coverage, with 111 districts marked as high priority due to low irrigation coverage below 25%. Another 76 fall under medium priority (25-50% coverage), while 128 are classified as low priority with better irrigation facilities. These districts are spread across 12 states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and others. The government has urged expedited preparedness at the local level in these regions to mitigate risks effectively.
